Mongolian PM ousted amid corruption protests
Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene has resigned after losing a vote of confidence amid weeks of anticorruption protests.
Oyun-Erdene announced his resignation on Tuesday after Parliament failed to back him in a confidence vote the previous day, a parliamentary statement said.
Public frustration has been boiling over regarding the lavish lifestyle of the prime minister's family, leading to persistent demonstrations in the capital, Ulaanbaatar.
'It was an honour to serve my country and people in times of difficulties, including pandemics, wars, and tariffs,' Oyun-Erdene said after the result of the secret ballot was announced to Parliament.
Oyun-Erdene, who spent more than four years in office, had denied the corruption allegations against him. In an address to Parliament before the vote, he blamed 'major, visible and hidden interests' for waging an 'organised campaign' to bring down the government.
He had also warned that political instability and economic chaos would follow should he be forced out of power.
But his pleas did not convince the Parliament, with only 44 lawmakers backing him and 38 against.
The prime minister needed to reach a 64-vote threshold in the 126-seat Parliament.
Oyun-Erdene, who took the prime minister's seat in January 2021 and was re-elected in July 2024, will remain in a caretaker capacity. A successor must be named within 30 days.
The landlocked democracy in Northern Asia has faced deep-seated corruption for decades, with many arguing that wealthy elites are hoarding the profits of a years-long coal mining boom.
On Monday, hundreds of young people converged on the square outside the parliament building, marching with white placards and chanting: 'Resignation is easy.'
Several protesters said they had come to voice dismay at what they have described as deeply embedded corruption and social injustice.
Since Oyun-Erdene took power, Mongolia's ranking in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index has dropped.
Concerns over the economy and rising living costs have also stoked the unrest.
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