Political development in the Mongolian Republic

Slowly Mongolian politics is recovering pace after the presidential election. Yesterday Mongolian Prime Minister Sanjaagiin Bayar said that he thought that it was wrong for the Ikh Khural (Parliament) to take decisions on agreements on investment. Bayar continued and said that it ought to be the business of Government. The reason for this was that it was hard to claim responsibility for decision taken by 76 members of Parliament. Government was quite another thing as the core of democracy is to have the ability to sack the Government for decisions or agreements it has taken during its mandate.

Furthermore, Bayar said he was lucky to have led the Mongolian Government supported by the great coalition (consisting of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party and the Mongolian National Democarti Party) through the economic and financial crisis. The fact that the politicians had been able to cooperate rather than use political infighting for their own benefit, has taken Mongolia through the crisis less damaged than otherwise. Prime Minister Bayar also commented on rumours that the Government was going to resign:

"-There are people who might have such a wish, but lack the ability to realise it."

Thus it seems like the coalition government is still holding together and Steven Saunders, President of the North America-Mongolian Business Council, said in an interview commenting on the Mongolian ablity to decide on agrements for development, claiming that:

“-Mongolia is the only country on the globe that can stop global economic recession without spending one tugrug by moving its mining deals. There is a saying ‘Measure seven times and cut once’. The Ikh Khural, has measured the agreement seven times already, now is the time is to cut.”

Behind the lines you can actually read something about the incapacity of making decisions. What is not covered in these newspaper articles though is the fact the newly eleted President Tsakhagiin Elbegdorj has said that some agreements might have to be renegotiated. Prime Minister Bayar actually deny that he will be able to manage this. This might imply a divide within the coalition government.

Sources: UB Post 2009 July; Zuunii Medee 2009 July; Önöödör 2009 July.