Cyprus-Forum.com

[Gasman]

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/

A NATIONAL GUARD (NG) doctor has been suspended pending a disciplinary investigation after the Defence Ministry received a large number of complaints saying he was facilitating draft dodgers.

Ministry spokeswoman Aliki Stylianou yesterday confirmed that a disciplinary investigation had been launched, but she added that the ministry could not say anything until the probe was complete, mainly for legal reasons.

Asked when the investigation was expected to wrap up, Stylianou said it would be “very soon”, as the ministry likes to conclude such serious matters as soon as possible.

The case was brought to light by Phileleftheros newspaper yesterday, which also revealed there were intense conflicts between NG officials – as well as implication by politicians – over certain services’ and militants’ implication in the issue of draft dodging.

The ministry is taking the matter very seriously, especially seeing that there is currently a bill to combat draft dodging tabled at parliament.

The bill provides, among others, a “special” alternative service for conscripts who claim they can’t carry out their military service on psychological grounds. Until now, they could obtain an exemption or postponement of their service.

But with the new law, if it is passed after parliament’s summer recess, this will no longer be the case. Not only will special conscripts have to carry out their service – which will be determined by the NG Chief and approved by the Defence Minister – they will also have to serve an extra eight months compared to other conscripts.

Instead of 24 months they will be called to serve 32.

Furthermore, anyone granted exemption from military service on medical grounds whose condition is deemed treatable will be subject to annual medical examinations until they reach the age of 30. In its present form, the bill would also allow the Defence Ministry retroactively to send for medical re-examination any conscript who was exempted on medical grounds since January 1, 2005.

The army estimates that every year some 20 per cent of new conscripts manage to dodge the draft on psychological grounds.

[IMPOSTALIEDUS]

In this day and age young people should be able to say No i do not want to be a conscript, why should a government tell someone you must spend 2 years in the army or what ever it is . this is a free world and if you do not want to join the army ,,,any army ,,, say no or f off i am not doing it, full stop . the british government have stated they will remain in afghanistan untill 2015 , that means they are prepared to lose a further 1000 men ,,,,, I for one backed the guy who said NO I am not going ,and he was given 12 months jail, but at the end of the day he will see his wife he will give his children a father , why should a man give his life for something that really does not concern him or his family,but concerns big companies who control oil and minerals the draft is against human rights

[SKI-preo]

If you are a Cypriot from Australia they always put you on the green line if you don't have connections.