MPs Endorse Increase in Troop Levels
On September 14 Parliament approved the president?s proposal on increasing troop levels from the current 28,000 to 32,000.
MP Nika Rurua from the ruling party, who is the deputy chairman of the parliamentary committee for defense and security, described the move as ?urgent.? He said that a new brigade, comprising 3,300 servicemen, would be set up, at a cost of GEL 113 million.
Rurua did not rule out a further increase in troop levels.
Opposition lawmakers from the New Rights and Conservative parties abstained in the vote, saying that the strength of the army is defined not by its number, but by the quality of its training.
In 2005 MoD troop strength was legally set at a maximum of 23,000. It was revised to 26,000 in 2006 and last year Parliament allowed for 28,000 soldiers.
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)