MOSCOW. Oct 8 (Interfax-AVN) - The All-Russian trade union of servicemen does not support the demarche, unleashed by the trade union of servicemen and law-enforcement officers of the Moscow region, envisioning a march from Smolensk to Moscow under the motto "Houses to homeless servicemen and law-enforcement officers."
"I think that this problem should be solved legally. The problem of providing houses to servicemen can be solved by supporting existing governmental programs and developing new ones," Oleg Shvedkov, chairman of the All-Russian trade union of servicemen told Ekho Moskvy radio on Wednesday.
The march will see participation of about 50 former servicemen and ex-law-enforcement officers.
According to Vladimir Vakhaniya, chairman of the trade union of servicemen and law-enforcement officers of the Moscow region, there are in excess of 500,000 homeless servicemen and law- enforcement officers in Russia. The problem is not being solved and the number of homeless officers is constantly increasing, while authorities do not pay any attention to this fact, he said.
Vakhaniya stressed that the demarche was aimed at drawing attention of the society and authorities to this crucial problem.
The advocates of the demarche say that on the way from Smolensk to Moscow the participants in the march will take care of military cemeteries and graves.
The march is expected to be completed by the outset of the All-Russian forum on providing living quarters to servicemen and law-enforcement officers, which is to be held in Moscow on October 24-25.