The army in the Republic of Moldova should be fully switched over to professional contract-based military service. Significant investments are yet needed for the purpose, ex-minister of defense Vitalie Marinuta said in the talk show “Fabrika” on Publika TV channel, IPN reports.

Vitalie Marinuta noted that a number of units have been switched over to such a system so far and the whole army should be contract-based and the mandatory military service should be annulled. “At the same time, calculations should be done to determine the costs and the necessary period of time so that we do not experience again the situation of 2001, when a military sector reform was tried to be done,” stated the ex-minister.

According to him, the service members are those who should work out plans for switching over to the professional army, while the politicians should make sure that the army’s budget represents at least 1% of the Gross Domestic Product during minimum five years.

Former deputy head of the General Staff, Colonel Andrei Covrig said the introduction of a contract-based model in the army implies both advantages and disadvantages. The way in which the military reserves for war situations are trained is open to question. Another question is the ability of the state to provide the service members employed on a contract with a social welfare package. But there are 4,500 military persons in Moldova who can replace the current conscripts.

On March 20, the Democratic Party, as the party responsible for governance, took the political decision to exclude the mandatory military service. The army reform will be implemented in stages, during about two years, and the first changes in the conscription plan will be made this autumn.