Mongolia Parliamentary Election: Ruling party wins reduced majority overshadowed by corruption accusations
- In Reports
- 06:38 PM, Jun 29, 2024
- Myind Staff
Mongolia's ruling party saw its parliamentary majority significantly reduced following this week's elections, local media reported. The campaign was marked by concerns over corruption and the state of the economy, which dominated public discourse throughout the electoral period.
Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene declared victory early on Saturday morning following the previous day's polls, where millions of Mongolians cast their votes to elect 126 members of the State Great Khural, the country's unicameral parliament.
The local media outlet Ikon reported that the ruling Mongolian People's Party had won 68 seats, according to figures provided by the country's General Election Commission, securing a majority of four seats in the parliament.
The main opposition Democratic Party secured 42 seats, according to a report by Ikon. Additionally, the minor anti-corruption HUN party managed to win eight seats, while smaller parties collectively secured eight seats in the Mongolian parliamentary election.
During a press conference held Saturday afternoon in Ulaanbaatar, the capital city, the head of the Electoral Commission mentioned that a few polling stations still required manual counting to cross-check results obtained from automated machines.
He assured the public that the hand-counting process was consistent with the machine-generated results, with only six to seven polling stations left to complete the verification.
These developments mark Mongolia's first election under a revised electoral system, where voters cast ballots for both party lists and individual candidates representing larger constituencies. As a result, the ruling Mongolian People's Party (MPP) will govern with a significantly reduced majority.
The new parliament will see the Mongolian People's Party (MPP) holding 54% of the seats, a significant decrease from around 80% it held in 2020.
According to Bayarlkhagva Munkhnaran, an analyst and former official with the National Security Council of Mongolia, this election outcome serves as a clear rebuke to the MPP and its leadership, as winning 68 seats is seen as barely salvaging face. He remarked that any subsequent government formed would be weak but more reflective of democratic processes.
Munkhnaran added, "The biggest winners are the Mongolian people who decisively turned out to vote and reaffirmed their strong support for the democratic path."
Analysts had initially anticipated that the MPP would maintain its longstanding majority, which has been in place since 2016, enabling it to continue governing for another four years.
They attribute much of the MPP's electoral success to a surge in coal mining activities that spurred double-digit economic growth and significantly raised living standards, alongside the party's effective organisational machinery.
The campaign focused heavily on widespread public discontent over entrenched corruption, alongside concerns about the soaring cost of living and limited opportunities for the country's predominantly youthful population, comprising almost two-thirds of Mongolia's inhabitants.
Moreover, there is a widely held belief that the benefits of the coal-mining boom are being accumulated by a wealthy elite, triggering frequent protests among the populace.
Image source: AFP
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