Armenian General Staff opposes draft law on paid exemptions from military service

New tensions have erupted within Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party over a controversial draft law proposing an exemption from military service in exchange for payment, according to the Yerevan-based newspaper Hraparak, cited by Caliber.Az.

The draft, developed by a Civil Contract party MP, Hayk Sargsyan, and recently approved by the government, has faced strong opposition from the Armenian Armed Forces’ General Staff, the newspaper writes.

The issue came to light during a closed-door discussion last week in the National Assembly. Members of the ruling party revealed that the General Staff expressed a firm negative stance on the draft, with Chief of the General Staff Edward Asryan reportedly stating, “We are against it.”

Asryan, who attended the confidential meeting, reportedly voiced his bewilderment over the Defence Minister Suren Papikyan’s decision to push the draft forward at the government session despite the General Staff’s objections. Party members questioned why Papikyan ignored the professional military assessment in favour of advancing the bill.

Papikyan defended his position, explaining the shortage of conscripts and the pressing need to replenish military ranks. “There is a shortage of conscripts and we have a problem replenishing the ranks, so steps must be taken,” he said. However, this justification did little to alleviate concerns within the party, raising questions about whose interests the Defence Minister was prioritising.

When a journalist approached Asryan at the National Assembly to confirm whether the General Staff had indeed issued a negative conclusion on the draft, the Chief of the General Staff declined to comment directly. “Their position will be presented in the near future,” he said, neither confirming nor denying the report.

The growing dissatisfaction among Civil Contract members was evident during the closed session, where many urged Sarkisyan to withdraw the draft from the agenda. Some warned that if he failed to do so, they would reject the bill themselves.

The draft remains scheduled for discussion at the Defence Committee meeting on June 13.

By Khagan Isayev