Change of Government in Mongolia

Mongolia's former Premier Minister Sanjaagiin Bayar shaking hand with the Russian President Dimitry Medvedev in August 2009.

It appears as the former Premier Minister of Mongolia had to retire for reasons of bad health. He had to attend medical health care in South Korea as well as China, but could not be cured enough to maintain his office. His diagnose was hepatitis C, which is incurable and his health status was not showing any improvement, so he apparently felt he had to step down.

He was replaced the Foreign Minister, Sukhbaatariin Batbold, from late October on. Batbold then appointed Ravdan Bold as new Foreign Minister. The Mongolian Ikh Khural consented to the appointment with a solid majority vote. Foreign Minister Bold has formerly been director for the General Intelligence Agency from 2008 until the present and before that he was Ambassador to the United States, between 2003 and 2007.

The photo shows the new Premier Minister Sukhbaatariin Batbold on the left and President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj in the middle.

Premier Minister Batbold is the 26th Premier Minister of Mongolia to this date. He is heading a coalition government consisting of the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party (MPRP) and the Mongolian National Democratic Party (MNDP).

This means that as a consequence of the Presidential Election this summer and the election of Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj (MNDP) as new President, that the whole front of Mongolian government has changed in just a couple of months.

The new Premier Minister explained his position on November 10 and said: “No change in the structure of the government.” This statement was probably as much for the public as reassurance inwards towards the coalition partners in MNDP.

Furthermore, the Russian Federation has appointed a new extraordinary and plenipotentiary Ambassador Viktor Samoylenko, to the Mongolian Republic, replacing Boris Govorin in office.

Turning to more of everyday politics away from the fancy halls of Government Building in central UB, you should not think that nothing is happening concerning ordinary people these days. Far from it, as since early November the government has declared a curfew from 21 hours, which means that all bars, restaurants and clubs should be closed by that time. This is actions oriented against the spread of the swine flu. The Mongolian people obviously fears the consequenses of his decease, and consquently the Government take action to calm the public. But aren'rt they overdoing it? Just a little bit? It is reported that hotels are raided and the police break into rooms where there is a party going on during the curfew. And the perpetraitors are arrested and held in polce custody.

Street photo from downtown Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Mongolians seems to have som grounds for their fears of the swinw flu, as the decease so far has killed 18 people in Mongolia. The government has responded and is reported to have done some shopping abroad, buying respirator equipment for the Mongolian health care system. The death rate seems a little bit higher than in Sweden so far, as here 15 people have died cause of the swine flu. Sweden has 9 million people compared to Mongolia’s 2.7 million. The swine flu spreads and terrifies around the globe…

Sources: UB Post 10, 13 and 24 of November.