DUSHANBE, June 5, Asia-Plus  -- As of June 4, the spring conscription campaign has reached 98.2 percent of the target, according to the Ministry of Defense (MoD).   

We will recall that the spring conscription, which usually ends on May 31, has been extended till June 15.  The decision to extend this year’s spring conscription campaign seeks to resolve the problem of shortage of conscripts and it has been coordinated with the president.  The move also stems from the country’s armed forces reforms and an increase in the number of military personnel compared to the last year, the source at a MoD said.     

He further added that in the territorial cross section the percentage the target reached were: Khatlon – 99.1; Sughd – 99.5; districts subordinate to the center (RRPs) – 100; Gorno Badakhshan – 95; and Dushanbe – 100.1  

 We will recall that speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, the MoD source said on June 2 that to avoid serving in the army, many conscript-age young men seeks migrant in Russia.  The other reason for shortage of conscripts is inrush of internal migrants to Dushanbe.  Moreover, many conscription-age young men have been found unfit for military service.    

The spring conscription campaign is carried out from April through May, and the draft affects able-bodied male citizens in the age bracket of 18 years old to 27 years old who are not members of the armed forces reserve.