Mongolian Presidential Election Debate

Yesterday evening the candidates in the Mongolian Presidential Election held their final debate. The debate went on for one and a half hour and the candidates were presented with 60 possible question which the moderator drew randomly from a box. The questions were put as suggestions of ordinary people and then chosen, refrased and edited.

Mongolian politicians have a rather special style. They talk using a rather low voice and seems to argue, not using emotions or outbursts. They seem to spread a sort of calm confidence to their audience. It is considered as bad behaviour to go outside this code of conduct. Yesterday's debate showed two politicians who rarely went outside this code.

Ts. Elbegdorj of the Democratic Party, once stepped outside this, as he addressed the events after the parlamentary election 2008. He stressed that he could not forsee the consequences of his speech held directly before the outburst of the rioting, which led to the burning down of the MPRP headquarter. Then he accused the authorities for not pressing charges against anyone for the deaths of five people during the riots. He also thouht it was odd that no one claimed damages on their cars that wére bunt during the riots...

Enkhbayar was probably breefed about this possible opportunity by his election strategists, and immediately took his chance. He said that of course there had been made mistakes, but no one knows the exact consequences of his actions in a state chaos. You simply have to do what you think is best in the situation. Which meant that he had to call for a state of emergency to stop the riots and limit the damages as much as possible. And he stressed that after the arrests of rioters, he immediately saw to that women and children among the arrested was released.

The tactics were simple and effecient, as Elbegdorj was trying to explain away his guilt by accusing others, while Enkhbayar played the role of the constructive one, the one who was trying to make everything alright.

Seen as a whole the debate seemed to expose two archetypes; Elbegdorj, the underdog who is striking from a seemingly impossible position (despite the fact that he actually had the lead in the last opinion poll); and Enkhbayar, the statesman, who most probably went on some course in rethoric and seemed relaxed and while Elbegdorj was arguing, both relaxed and content. On Monday we will know the outcome.