Civil Control over the Armed Forces

On March 22-26, HCA Vanadzor organized a training on “Civil Control over the Armed Forces” which was held by former military Venelin Georgiyev, expert of Bulgarian Institute of Parallel Processing. Civil control in making the military budget takes up a great place  in his lectures.

 Venelin Georgiyev agreed to answer our questions. 

You are considered an expert in the military sphere and the topic of your lectures is the civil control over the armed forces. Which countries have you been to and what is your experience in the armed forces as a former military?

I have worked in the Air Forces for ten years and I trained pilots. Then I worked for the Ministry of Defence in Bulgaria as an expert in program-based resource management and procurement department. Last year I held trainings in Moldova, then I have been invited to Indonesia and now I am giving lectures on the same topic in Sofia. This year I have been invited to Argentina with a big program.

Are you an international expert?

It is not important how I introduce myself. It is more important how people perceive me. If I am invited to deliver trainings in different countries, then, certainly, I will have a higher qualification and I’ll become an international expert.

What is important while making the budget of the Ministry of Defence? What’s the peculiarity?

Security is a very important system which may be left in the hands of the military leadership, but as far as we have chosen the rules of democracy game then it supposes civil control over armed forces.

What peculiarities have you noticed in each of the countries which are worth distinguishing?

I think I am invited to those countries so that local structures and specialists gain new experience and knowledge in the security sphere, but the most important here is that those countries and the persons responsible in the sphere are ready to change the situation in their states. Here great will is necessary. The fact that high ranking employees of the legislative and the executive bodies participate in my trainings shows that there is a political will to change something.

Are your efforts directed towards making the military system more transparent?

That is the main idea of the training course – to see how in democratic countries those problems are addressed: But knowing and seeing is not enough, there should be will and efforts. If the Ministry of defence decides to contribute a program based budgetary system, I don’t know how many of the people participating in these trainings will take part in it. 

I think you know that during the election processes the army regularly intervenes political processes in Armenia, in particular, after the latest presidential elections we had 10 victims. How can it be prevented? Is there a best practice abroad? Why is said that the army should not intervene political processes.

According to the Bulgarian law, the person who represents the defence sphere does not have the right to be engaged in politics.

In Armenia it is also prescribed by law, but....

They do not have the right to be engaged in political activity in their workplace, but they can participate in political elections. They officially do not participate in demonstrations or marches. But last week the Bulgarian military held a march against the decision of the executive, according to which the military should have paid for insurance.

But it was done for their rights.

Yes, the military underlined that they were ready to pay the same taxes, insurance payments if they were given ordinary civil rights.

But in Armenia the involvement of the army in the political processes has absolutely different forms.

In Bulgaria the military has great authority. We cannot imagine that they will ever ban peaceful assemblies. 

In Armenia the law defines that the high ranking military do not have the right to be engaged in business.

It is the same in Bulgaria, because the military have to be at work for 20 hours. They can only study additionally.

What dangers does the state want to prevent by prohibiting the military to be engaged in business? What are the risks here?

I would like to bring another example of Bulgarian armed forces. Our former minister of defence was accused of abusing his official position. The society does not trust him any more.

Is the judicial independent in Bulgaria?

Yes, according to the Constitution, the independent structures are the judicial, the executive and the executive.

Are there cases of crime in the Bulgarian army?

There are not many cases of crime in the Bulgarian army. There are no death cases at all. There are corruption cases.

In the Armenian army the “presence of dedovshina” is the reason for crime.

Military service in Bulgaria is on contractual basis, which reduces cases of violence.

The Armenian army can be characterized as a closed system. How can you define the Bulgarian army?

I think during the last years there is more transparency. It is due to the fact that the Ministry of Defence consults with the representatives of civil society while making decisions and this is available for the public. But we strive for more.

Since when has the military service become contractual? Did it help the army to become a more open structure?

When the system changed it led to many changes. While serving on a contractual basis the person knows that after a few years of service he can return to his civil life. It means that it is not obligatory at all to serve in the army for 20 years.

Did you meet with the representatives of the Ministry of defence in Armenia?

No.