Petition to Restore Compulsory Military Service Launched in Latvia

RIGA (Sputnik) — A petition demanding to restore a compulsory military service in a bid to boost the country’s security has been published on Latvia’s public initiatives’ platform on Tuesday.

“In order to strengthen the country’s security … each Latvian man of at least 18 years of age should undergo a mandatory military training. Those who cannot serve due to a specific health condition should undergo an individual training,” the petition on the manabalss.lv website said.

According to the petition, all men on the mandatory military service should be paid an average salary of a serviceman and provided with all the social guarantees, while at the same time being granted the opportunity to return to their jobs after the service.

In order to be considered by the country’s parliament, the petition should gain not less than 10,000 signatures. At the moment it has 29 signatures.

Latvia had a mandatory military service until its accession to NATO in 2004.