Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene declares victory in the country’s parliamentary elections, but the opposition makes significant gains.
The ruling Mongolian People’s Party maintained a slim majority in the country’s parliament, with the opposition Democratic Party making big gains, according to preliminary results released early Saturday.
Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene declared early victory in parliamentary elections dominated by deepening public anger over corruption and the state of the economy.
The prime minister told a press conference in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, that his ruling party had won a majority in the 126-seat body. “According to the pre-results, the Mongolian People’s Party [MPP] it has 68 to 70 seats,” he said.
With 99 percent of votes counted, Mongolian media tallies indicate that the opposition Democratic Party won around 40 seats – a big jump from 2020. The results indicate that opposition parties were able to capitalize on the discontent of voters and consume the majority of the government party.
“Through these elections, people have given their assessment of the ruling party’s past political mistakes,” said Democratic Party leader Gantumur Luvsannyam.
The MPP is the successor to the communist party that ruled Mongolia with an iron fist for almost 70 years. He continues to be popular – especially among rural and older voters – and commands a vast campaign apparatus nationally.
Meanwhile, results gathered by local media outlet Ikon showed that the small anti-corruption party HUN won eight seats. Votes will be counted manually on Saturday to ensure accuracy, after which an official result is expected.
‘New page in democracy’
On Friday, people across the vast and sparsely populated nation of 3.4 million people, sandwiched between China and Russia, voted to elect 126 members of the state’s Great Khural.
The streets of Ulaanbaatar, where almost half of Mongolia’s population lives, were decorated with colorful campaign posters touting candidates from across the political spectrum, from populist businessmen to nationalists, environmentalists and socialists.
Long lines snaked through the halls of a school polling station in central Ulaanbaatar, with many voters wearing traditional clothing.
Tsagaantsooj Dulamsuren, a 36-year-old cashier pregnant with her fourth child, said the election offered her the opportunity to “empower the candidates” she really wanted to support.
“I want lawmakers to provide more infrastructure development… and more manufacturing jobs for young people,” she said outside a polling station at a hospital near the capital.
Corruption scandals have undermined trust in the government and political parties. In addition to the center-right Democratic Party, the HUN Party has emerged as a potential third force.
In addition to corruption, the main issues for voters included unemployment and inflation in an economy shaken first by the COVID-19 pandemic and then by the fallout from the war in Ukraine.
Many younger voters, however, expressed disappointment with the governing party and said they chose younger candidates they hoped would bring change.
“I am very disappointed with the result,” said Shijir Batchuluun, 35, a marketing manager in Ulaanbaatar, suggesting that the younger generation did not turn out to vote. “It’s all the same thing again. Singers, fighters, businessmen won.”
The prime minister even thanked those who did not vote for his party, saying that, for the first time, five to six parties were elected to parliament, reflecting a “new page” in Mongolian democracy.
“Having diverse and contrasting opinions is the essence of democracy. Your criticism will be reflected in our actions,” she said.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
