How is it that I have to serve for 24 months while another can pay for just 4.5 months? A war participant

The proposal to prematurely discharge a conscript soldier from mandatory military service for a payment of 24 million drams, presented by the Ministry of Defense, has sparked outrage, particularly among those who lost relatives during the war, writes "Pastinfo."

Yeghishe Zakunts, who lost his sister's son during the 44-day war, emphasizes that a mother who lost her minor son during the conflict is currently undergoing military training to be ready to take up arms when necessary and continue her son's work, while the government is developing legal paths to exempt boys from mandatory service.

Alen Galstyan, who served part of his mandatory military service in Armenia and another part in Artsakh, sees no logic or fairness in the proposed project. He also notes that it will negatively impact the morale of the army. "During my service, if something like this had happened, surely the quality of my service would have declined with the thought of why I have to serve for 24 months while another can pay for just 4.5 months. Both the spirit of patriotism and the desire to serve would decrease," the war participant told "Pastinfo," adding, "If we understand service as fulfilling a duty, then it cannot be replaced by any amount of money."

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