DEFENCE Minister Costas Papacostas voiced his conviction yesterday that the new, stricter army law would help the state effectively tackle draft dodging.
“Everything that could possibly be done to stamp out draft dodging, based on what the law allows, has been done,” Papacostas told a press conference at the National Guard Officers’ Club in Nicosia.
The minister said his department is in a position to implement the law “effectively”, calling on all involved to apply it to the letter.
The new law, which includes stricter provisions for those seeking to get out of doing their service, was seen as a necessary measure to stop an estimated 20 per cent of new conscripts avoiding the draft on psychological or disability grounds each year.
The law, which was passed in February, will be put to the test for the first time this month when around 5,000 new conscripts will join the National Guard.
The new regulations state that those claiming a disability, injury or psychological illness in a bid to get an exemption or discharge will no longer be able to do so.
They will be included in those obliged to do an alternative service that calls for an additional eight months on top of the regular 24.
And they will have to complete their alternative service in army barracks as opposed to other government departments, as was the case previously in a system that was only sporadically enforced.
“I look forward to successfully attaining the objectives we have set in relation with stamping out this phenomenon,” Papacostas said.
The ministry will be also reviewing past cases of people who did not do their service claiming physical and psychological problems, starting with the 529 people exempted in 2010.
The army will then work backwards to review all those deemed unfit since January 1, 1995.
If they are deemed fit they may be drafted anew.
“We have covered all the legal loopholes, we’ve closed all the windows that previous laws left open allowing some to draft dodge,” Papacostas said.
The minister also announced his readiness to proceed by the end of the year with the recruitment of a small number of soldiers, on a voluntary contract, for a pilot programme, to see if military service can be reduced, starting in 2012.
The programme’s results will determine whether a 2,500-strong semi-professional army could be created which would allow compulsory military service to be cut by a year.
“Given that the pilot programme produces the desired results and as long as the necessary funds are made available to hire the required number of soldiers, then we will be able to, starting in 2012, reduce military service,” said Papacostas, who admitted that a two year service in today’s society was a long time.
