Freedom fighter Gagik Sarukhanyan considers the ARF’s initiative to form a reserve battalion of volunteers the next remarkable pre-election move by this political party. “It is an interesting move ahead of the elections by calling it a reserve battalion of volunteers. How they are going to get weapons and clothing for them. What volunteers is the question about?
In other words, therewith they are highlighting that there is no Defense Ministry in Armenia, no Military Commissariat, no Enlistment. If you knew all that, you could stand up and talk at the National Assembly as you have a fraction there. If the country defense should be on voluntary principle, it means that no state exists. A few months are left until the elections, slowly-slowly they are enlisting their party membership,” – such an opinion was expressed by the freedom fighter in the conversation with Aravot.am.
The use of the battalion is prescribed only in the case of resumption of large-scale military operations, while freedom fighter Sarukhanyan recalls the four-day war in April when many volunteers could not reach the border, “During the four-day war in April when volunteers were enlisted forming squads to go to the border, the guys were said, no, only through Yerkrapah, and the Dashnaks, didn’t you know that if they want they will apply to Yerkrapahs and they will send them. What formalities are these? During all these time, I did not see Dashnaks say one day, so much is robbed in the army, generals were detained, arrested and dismissed after the April events. Where are their lawsuits, so many months have passed, what happened to them? I know very clearly that they are walking in freedom, let the Dashnaks talk about them.”
Gagik Sarukhanyan argues that currently there is no signal to resume large-scale military operations, “Currently, there is no need for the formation of volunteers’ battalions. If they have confidential information that large-scale military actions are expected, good for them. I believe that volunteerism is good but as long as there is no clear activity of military Commissariat, volunteerism will not save the country. This is not the war of in 1990 when both sides had no army nor government circles and were going to war with hunting rifles and proved that the Armenian arm is stronger. In today’s war, we have a state, Enlistment and everything, what volunteerism are you talking about.”
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Arpine SIMONYAN
