- Mongolian legislative election, 2008
-
Mongolian legislative election, 2008 
2004 ← 29 June 2008 → 2012 All 76 seats to the State Great Khural Majority party Minority party 
Leader Sanjaagiin Bayar Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj Party MPRP Democratic Last election 37 seats, 48.23% 35 seats, 44.27%
( part of EOA)Seats won 45 27 Seat change 
8
8Popular vote 914,037 701,641 Percentage 52.67% 40.43%
Prime Minister before election
Elected Prime Minister
Mongolia 
This article is part of the series:
Politics and government of
Mongolia- Constitution
- President (List)
- Prime Minister (List)
- Sükhbaataryn Batbold
- State Great Khural
- Speaker
- Supreme Court
- Political parties
- Elections
- Aimags (provinces)
- Sums (districts)
- Human rights
- Foreign relations
A legislative election in Mongolia was held on June 29, 2008. A total of 356 candidates were running for 76 seats in the State Great Khural. According to official results published on July 14, at least 39 seats went to the ruling Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP), and at least 25 seats went to main opposition party, the Democrats (DP). Ten seats remained subject to possible recounts.[1]
After intermediate results published on June 30 showed a clear MPRP victory, DP chairman Elbegdorj declared on July 1 that the elections were rigged and that his party would not accept these results. Protests against the election results turned violent on the evening of July 1, and protesters sacked the MPRP headquarters in downtown Ulaanbaatar. Five protesters were killed,[2] and around midnight a four-day state of emergency was declared.
Contents
Election system
The candidates were elected from multi-seat constituencies in a Plurality-at-large system, with two to four seats per aimag or (in Ulaanbaatar) düüreg.[3][4] Previous elections had single-seat constituencies, and the new, more complicated voting system was reported to have led to a delay in vote counting.[5]
Of the 76 seats, 20 were elected from Ulaanbaatar, and the other 56 were elected from the aimags. Mongolian voter registration is essentially coupled with civil registration.[citation needed] Vote counting is not done publicly[citation needed], and results of individual polling stations are not published.[citation needed] After the 2004 legislative elections had been contested in some constituencies, Mongolian voters now have their thumbs marked after casting their vote.[citation needed]
Pre-election campaigns
311 candidates from 11 parties and one coalition, plus 45 independent candidates, were running for election,[6] only 28 of them being incumbent MPs.[7] Both the DP and the MPRP promised cash payouts in case of an election win.[citation needed] The DP promised 1,000,000 MNT (about 800 USD) per person in case of an election win. After first denouncing the idea of such payouts, the MPRP changed course and promised 1,500,000 MNT per person.[citation needed] Other issues were inflation and mining. As in previous elections, there were instances of candidates making monetary payments and other gifts to lure voters.
Official results
According to final results published on July 14, the MPRP won at least 39 seats, the DP won at least 25, at least one seat was going to the Civic Will Party, and three seats were won by independent candidates. Results from three constituencies (Khentii, Dornod, and Bayangol) remained open.[1][8] On August 20, final results from Khentii were officially published, raising the number of MPRP seats to at least 42.[9] Turnout was 74.3%, considerably lower than the 82% of the 2004 election.[10]
↓ 27 1 1 1 45 Democratic Party C
W
PC
CI People's Revolutionary Party Summary of the 29 June 2008 Mongolian State Great Khural election results Parties Votes % Seats Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party1 (Mongol Ardyn Khuv'sgalt Nam) 914,037 52.67% 45 Democratic Party (Ardchilsan Nam) 701,641 40.43% 27 Civic Will Party (Irgenii Zorig Nam ) 34,319 1.97% 1 Civic Coalition (Irgenii Evsel) 24,806 1.42% 1 Independents 60,320 3.47% 1 Total (turnout 74.31%) 1,735,123 100% 76 Source: IPU[11] 1Later changed to Mongolian People's Party.
Allegations of fraud
After immediate results showed a clear MPRP victory, DP Chairman Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj declared that his party would not accept the election results, and alleged that the elections had been rigged.[12] On a press conference held on July 7, DP politicians D. Dorligjav, Z. Enkhbold and L. Gündalai declared that there had been massive irregularities with voter registration. Some of their claims were later repudiated by the central registry office.[13] Other allegations were irregularities in the counting process, and voter bribery.[citation needed] International observers, however, described the election as free and fair.[12][14]
Violence and state of emergency
Burnt-out MPRP headquarters, July 2008
In the evening of July 1, anti-MPRP protesters gathered in front of the MPRP headquarters, clashed with the police, and eventually set the building on fire. Police used batons, water cannons, tear gas, rubber bullets, and live ammunition.[15][16] The Cultural Palace, north of the MPRP headquarters, was also set on fire.[17] Around midnight local time, President Nambaryn Enkhbayar declared a state of emergency to be in effect for the following four days.[18] Armored Personnel Carriers were deployed to the streets of Ulaanbaatar, a night curfew and a media blackout were declared.
Five people, all of them civilians, were killed in the riots: four were shot, and one apparently died from carbon monoxide poisoning.[19] The Mongolian minister of justice estimated 220 civilians and 108 service members were injured. Approximately 700 protesters were arrested.,[20] of whom 140, including 13 minors and 3 women, have been sentenced to 2–7 years in prison as of October 31, 2008.[21]
On August 15 and 19 2008, ten police officers were arrested in connection with the shootings in the night of July 1/2. On August 20, relatives of these arrested officers organized a protest demonstration on Sükhbaatar Square.[22][23][24]
Political aftermath
Elbegdorj said on July 18 that the DP would boycott the opening session of parliament on July 23. He also said that he was prepared to resign as DP Chairman if the 200 protesters still being held by the police were not released and the political crisis did not end.[25] However, the DP members were present in the opening session, with many of its members criticizing the Chairman of the General Election Committee, and the way the election was held. After Elbegdorj gave his party's position, members of the DP went out of the parliament. As a result, the new members of the parliament were not sworn in.
On August 28, most of the DP representatives in the new State Great Khural decided to attend parliament, and all but Ts. Elbegdorj were sworn in.[26][27] On September 11, S. Bayar was elected as new prime minister of a coalition government between MPRP and DP.[28] Ts. Elbegdorj finally was sworn in on the same day or on September 11.[29]
The members from Dornod (2 MPRP, 1 DP) were sworn in on 16 September 2008.[30] The members from Bayangol (2 MPRP, 1 DP, 1 Civic Coalition) were announced on 9 October 2008.[31]
In May 2009, nearly a year after the crisis, Elbegdorj defeated Enkhbayar in the presidential election.
References
- ^ a b Өдрийн сонин: Гурван тойргийн шийдвэр эцэслэн гараагүй байна (in Mongolian)
- ^ "Fatal clashes in Mongolia capital". London: BBC World News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/7860539.stm. Retrieved July 2, 2008.
- ^ "Mongolia to hold parliamentary election end of June", Xinhua (People's Daily Online), 2008-05-09.
- ^ "Changes to 2008 Parliamentary Elections System", Newswire.mn, 2007-12-06.
- ^ Mongolia sees counting of votes delayed by new election system. Mongolia Web News. 2008-06-30. Retrieved 2008-07-02.
- ^ Preliminary results: Mongolia's ruling party wins parliamentary election. People's Daily Online. 2008-06-30. Retrieved 2008-07-02.
- ^ Polling stations busy as voters queue up across Mongolia. Agence France-Presse. Google News. 2008-06-30. Retrieved 2008-07-02.
- ^ Two parties win most seats in Mongolian parliamentary election - People's Daily Online
- ^ www.mongolei.de: Aktuelle Nachrichten aus der Mongolei / 25. bis 31. August 2008 (in German)
- ^ УИХ-ын сонгууль амжилттай єндєрлєлєє (in Mongolian). olloo.mn.
- ^ Results of the Mongolian legislative election, 2008
- ^ a b Opposition alleges fraud in Mongolia vote. Reuters. 2008-07-01.
- ^ www.mongolei.de: Aktuelle Nachrichten aus der Mongolei / 7. bis 13. Juli 2008 (in German)
- ^ UBPost: Observers Believe Mongolian Election 'Reflected the Will of the People', July 24th, 2008
- ^ Mongolia: President Enkhbayar Releases Statement. Mongolia Web News. 2008-07-01.
- ^ UBPost:MP Battulga Speaks About Riot Aftermath
- ^ Mongolia Cultural palace in flames. Mongolia Web News. 2008-07-01.
- ^ Mongolia: MPRP building in flames, president declares emergency. Mongolia Web News. 2008-07-01.
- ^ 5,000 người Mông Cổ tràn ngập thủ đô đòi giải tán quốc hội (Vietnamese)
- ^ Magnie, Mark. Postelection violence in Mongolia leaves 5 dead. Los Angeles Times. 2008-07-03.
- ^ The number of convicts sentenced to prison for July 1st incident reached 140
- ^ UBPost: Arrested Mongolian Police Officers are Suspects in Post-Riot Death Investigations
- ^ Mongolia Police Arrest Controversy Continues; Officers and Their Families Protest
- ^ www.mongolei.de: Aktuelle Nachrichten aus der Mongolei / 18. bis 24. August 2008 (in German)
- ^ "In Mongolia Democratic Party Seems Divided, Elbegdorj announces possible resignation", Mongolia Web, July 19, 2008.
- ^ http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90851/6489014.html
- ^ http://www.mongolei.de/news/2008aug5.htm
- ^ AFP: Mongolian parliament elects PM after turmoil
- ^ Ts. Elbegdorj Sworn In
- ^ http://www.montsame.mn/index.php?option=com_news&task=news_detail&tab=200809&ne=1415
- ^ http://www.mongolei.de/news/2008okt1.htm
External links
News related to Mongolia declares state of emergency after violent protests, five people killed at Wikinews
Presidential elections Legislative elections Referendums Categories:- 2008 elections in Asia
- 2008 in Mongolia
- Elections in Mongolia
- State Great Khural
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