Armenian opposition MP calls for more transparency in army

An Armenian MP affiliated with the opposition Heritage party asked the defense minister at a Wednesday parliament hearing about the government's current steps designed to instill the idea of transparency in the military.
"It is no secret, and we have seen that the army is often used for political purposes, as for example, during elections. What guarantees can you give for preventing the army from any interference in the country's domestic life, and what are we all supposed to do to distance the army from all this?" Tevan Pohghosyan asked the National Assembly's question and answer session.
Minister Seyran Ohanyan said that his agency has been always committed to, and will keep on strengthening the army-society ties, refraining from special steps aimed at raising the army's image.
Addressing the remark about the military's involvement in politics, the minister stressed the importance of keeping the Armed Forces neutral in political processes.
"The Armed Forces must be neutral in general politics. And we ban all sorts of political movements; the Army is never made to serve political ambitions. Servicemen in the army have no right to attend political gatherings, but the army is given the opportunity to be internally aware of legal developments," he said.
Seyranyan noted that soldiers in the military maintain contacts with their families who often give them guidance on their political behavior. "I find, nonetheless, that it is right to guard the army against political processes," he added.  Read more... (246 words)

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