Latest news with #Mongolia
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Mongolian prime minister resigns after losing backing of parliament
Mongolia prime minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene has stepped down after losing parliamentary support following corruption claims that erupted into street protests last month, the country's parliament said on Tuesday. The parliament of the world's largest landlocked country did not pass a draft resolution on a confidence ballot, meaning Mr Oyun-Erdene was deemed to have resigned, noted a parliament statement. 'It was an honour to serve my country and people in difficult times, including pandemics, wars, and tariffs,' said Mr Oyun-Erdene after the result of the vote became known. Mr Oyun-Erdene, who has been prime minister since January 2021 and was re-elected in July 2024, will remain caretaker PM until a successor is named within 30 days. READ MORE The political upheaval comes after Mongolians last month protested for weeks in the capital Ulan Bator, alleging corruption involving Mr Oyun-Erdene and his family. Mr Oyun-Erdene did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment on his resignation and the corruption allegations. A statement posted on the Mongolian parliament website showed Mr Oyun-Erdene thanking the country's youth for their views on transparency, and citizens for their different perspectives, but said he 'regrets that this is used as a political pretext and causing instability'. Mr Oyun-Erdene argued he had been steadfast in fighting corruption but had focused too much on large projects instead of social and political issues. The outgoing prime minister had pushed for infrastructure and resource development projects in the mineral-rich country, outlining 14 mega-projects including mineral processing centres, water diversion initiatives, dams and power plants. – Reuters
Zawya
8 hours ago
- General
- Zawya
Mongolian peacekeepers overcome dire conditions to protect civilians in conflict-prone Abiemnhom
Miles of nothingness. Searing heat. Rationed food provisions, dependent on weekly deliveries from colleagues at the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) base in Bentiu. UNMISS peacekeepers from Mongolia are committed to enduring the most difficult of conditions to help safeguard the communities surrounding their temporary base in Abiemnhom, Northern Unity State, and beyond. After a devastating attack by an armed group on Abiemnhom in April, that left 52 people dead and hundreds fleeing for their lives, the Mongolian peacekeepers rapidly responded by creating a protective presence outside their base, providing sanctuary to at least 800 people in need. 'When the attack happened, people ran and swam across the river. A lot of people, including women and children, drowned. The Mongolian peacekeepers helped us to rescue people and bury the victims. They also created a safe space when we were in urgent need,' recalls Abiemnhom resident, Mawut Lueth. Since the attacks, the peacekeepers have intensified their patrols by day and night. 'Patrolling matters so much. It is not just about checking security or monitoring the situation. The real value is that it keeps us connected with people. Every patrol is a chance to talk to people, listen to their concerns and build that essential trust,' describes Mongolian Battalion Commander, Major Davaadorj Boldbaatar. With their location largely inaccessible by road due to extraordinary flooding, the peacekeepers' only connection to the main base in Bentiu and the critical supplies they need, is a United Nations helicopter which lands at an airstrip for a few hours every Wednesday. This doesn't deter the peacekeepers from carrying out their mandated work during their three-month rotating deployment to the isolated area. With security gradually improving in Abiemnhom, more than 130 families have been able to return to the area, although most found their homes and livelihoods in tatters following the attack. To enable the residents to safely rebuild their lives, the peacekeepers will maintain their vigilant presence until they are needed elsewhere. 'As long as UNMISS continues here and, as long as our presence can contribute to peace in the area, Mongolian peacekeepers will fulfill our duties in Abiemnhom, South Sudan.' Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
The Independent
11 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
Resource-rich Mongolia faces political uncertainty after the prime minister resigns
Resource-rich Mongolia is facing political uncertainty following the resignation early on Tuesday of its prime minister in the wake of protests over endemic corruption in the landlocked Asian country, squeezed between China and Russia. Before he lost the confidence vote in the parliament, Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai warned that his removal could undermine Mongolia's fledgling democracy. The vote followed weeks of protests sparked by reports of lavish spending by his son and calls for him to step down. The reports, which cited expensive jewelry and helicopter rides for the son's female companion, underscored the vast gap between Mongolians who have grown extremely wealthy off the country's exports and much of the rest of the population, mired in poverty. Here is a look at why what is happening in Mongolia matters: A fledgling democracy between two big powers Mongolia, a country of about 3.5 million people, borders Russia to the north and China to the south. Its stunning alpine mountains interspersed with vast deserts hold an abundance of coal, copper and other natural resources used in high-tech manufacturing. The question of who benefits from the wealth has been a key issue since Mongolia began negotiating with foreign mining giants — rumors of secret deals and under-the-table payments have circulated for years. After Mongolia threw off Communism at the end of the Cold War, it lost generous Soviet Union aid packages. Since then, it has been slowly becoming a democracy but is struggling to avoid falling into debt while holding Chinese and Russian interests at bay. China is a particularly important neighbor as its ruling Communist Party buys up 92% of Mongolia's exports. A 'spiders' web' of the greedy Over the years, the capital of Ulaanbaataar transformed itself from a city of clunky Soviet-era buildings surrounded by traditional herders' felt tents known as gers, into a metropolis of shopping malls and fancy hotels. The protesters have said the country's mineral riches have benefited business interests and the wealthy, while many Mongolians still live in poverty. Early on Tuesday morning, Oyun-Erdene only got 44 votes of support in the 126-seat legislature — the State Great Khural — well short of the 64 needed, according to the head of the counting commission, M. Narantuya-nara. Oyun-Erdene accepted defeat, saying it had been an honor to serve the nation through the coronavirus pandemic, Russia's war on Ukraine and the ongoing strife over U.S. tariffs. But he also warned of the threat of a 'spider's web' of special interests that he said are working to hold the Mongolian people back. What happens next? Oyun-Erdene, who ran a coalition government, will remain prime minister until his replacement is elected in parliament, most likely from the ranks of opposition lawmakers. Those who pick his successor will likely also have to find a platform that will satisfy the demands of the largely young and well-educated class that has led the protests. That could include moving ahead with a national sovereignty fund introduced recently to better help spread the wealth. In stepping down, Oyun-Erdene defended his integrity but said he had made the mistake of 'paying insufficient attention to social and internal political matters.' He also warned of political instability ahead, saying it "could lead the public to lose faith in parliamentary rule and potentially put our democratic parliamentary system at risk of collapse.' What do experts and the ordinary people say? Erin Murphy, deputy director and senior fellow of India and emerging Asian economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said it's not easy to "build that foundation for democracy' at a time when Mongolia also must tackle economic problems. Julian Dierkes, a Mongolia expert at the University of Mannheim in Germany, said he doesn't expect any major policy changes, whoever becomes the next prime minister. 'They will be selected on the basis of personal networks and patronage,' Dierkes said. Many people on the street seemed worried for the future and some defended the outgoing prime minister on Tuesday. Oyun-Erdene should not be responsible for his son's failings, said Gansukh Batbayar, a military retiree in Ulaanbaatar who lauded what he described as Oyun-Erdene's efforts to 'confiscate illegally earned assets and money of corrupt officials' and distribute it more fairly. 'We barely survive in these chaotic times and our pensions are very small,' said an older woman on a public bus in Ulaanbaataar, who declined to give her name to speak about the political developments. She counts on her children "to have food to eat and a roof over my head,' she said. ___
Telegraph
12 hours ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Designer handbags and diamond rings bring down Mongolian PM
Mongolia's prime minister has resigned in ignominy after photos of his son's lavish lifestyle were plastered across social media, sparking weeks of protests. Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai lost a vote of no confidence after a corruption investigation into his family's sources of wealth was launched. Mr Luvsannamsrai's 23-year-old son Temuulen showered his fiancee with gifts, including Chanel and Dior handbags worth thousands of pounds, and a diamond ring. For weeks, frustration towards the prime minister mounted as Mongolians struggled to understand how the son of a civil servant who earns less than £20,000 a year could afford such gifts. In an ostentatious show of wealth, pictures on social media appeared to showed Temuulen's fiancee with a MiuMiu blazer worth nearly £4,000, bags of goods from Canada Goose, a luxury winter wear clothing store, and her behind the wheel of a £40,000 Volvo. The fiance, named as Uguumur, has since deleted all the posts on her Instagram account. Temuulen was also reportedly enrolled in a language programme at Harvard University, which costs around ￡6,000. He has reportedly been recalled since the protests. 'With no visible sources of income, their display of luxury bags, private travel, and high-end living was a blatant slap in the face to the average Mongolian citizen,' Amina, a 28-year-old member of the Ogtsroh Amarhan (Resigning is Easy) protest group, told CNN. Mongolia is a landlocked country with a population of only 3.5 million, nestled between China and Russia. The minimum wage is around £160 a month, and there is a cost of living crisis. For years, the country's economy has been hugely dependent on Russia for energy and China for commerce. The current government coalition, elected last July and led by Luvsannamsrai, had tried to establish greater relations with the West, but little came of it. Against this backdrop, it was not surprising that Uguumur's posts quickly went viral and began sparking questions around corruption, which both father and son deny. In a statement, the prime minister's office called the allegations of financial impropriety 'completely unfounded'. Mongolia currently ranks 114 out of 180 on the Corruptions Perceptions Index, with a very low score of 33 per cent, and for decades the country has dealt with corrupt officials and wealthy business leaders enriching themselves with public funds. With Mr Luvsannamsrai and his family, many Mongolians thought history was repeating itself. More than 58,000 people signed a petition calling for him to step down and hundreds took to the streets in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, shouting slogans that reflected a lack of trust in the government. Mr Luvsannamsrai claimed only that he was 'dedicating too much time to major projects while paying insufficient attention to social and internal political matters'. Analysts have said there is no evidence of corruption by Mr Luvsannamsrai, and he and his son have submitted themselves to Mongolia's anti-corruption agency – but the protests were enough for the prime minister to call a vote of no confidence on Monday. He received only 44 of the 64 votes he needed to maintain his position, and resigned shortly afterwards. While Mongolia has been a parliamentary democracy since 1991, over the years many governments have been toppled, leading to calls for constitutional changes that would enable more stability. Shortly before the vote on Monday, Mr Luvsannamsrai echoed some of these concerns, noting that his country's democracy was still fragile. 'If governance becomes unstable, the economic situation deteriorates, and political parties cannot come to consensus. It could lead the public to lose faith in parliamentary rule and potentially put our democratic parliamentary system at risk of collapse,' he said.
Independent Singapore
13 hours ago
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Luxury handbags spark political meltdown in Mongolia
INTERNATIONAL: Mongolia has plunged into a new political crisis as Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai formally stepped down after a no-confidence vote and weeks of dissent led by fuming Mongolians, particularly the young generation. According to the latest CNN report, the turbulence was prompted by viral social media posts displaying the profligate lifestyle of the Prime Minister's 23-year-old son, which includes helicopter rides, expensive and fashionable bags, and an intricate engagement party featuring an extravagant car and a diamond ring. Many probed how such affluence was attained, primarily since Oyun-Erdene's is known to have originated from a modest countryside upbringing, according to his narrative. 'With no visible sources of income, their display of luxury bags, private travel, and high-end living was a blatant slap in the face to the average Mongolian citizen,' said Amina, a demonstrator belonging to the group Ogtsroh Amarhan (Resigning is Easy). Corruption, cost of living, and public disillusionment Citizens' fury is not restricted to viral pictures. Activists in central Ulaanbaatar's Sükhbaatar Square have spoken about more pressing concerns, specifically economic difficulties, widespread fraud and exploitation, and a political class viewed as 'out of touch.' Price increases, intensified by Russia's confrontation in Ukraine, have escalated the cost of living, with many Mongolians struggling to survive on a 'loan to loan, debt to debt' existence, said Amina. Transparency fears have deepened after years of sluggish progress in corruption cases, such as the 2022 outrage over coal exports to China. Although no direct proof implicates Oyun-Erdene in the crimes, his son's posts served as a lightning rod, triggering extreme resentment among the people. 'I want a fair society where government officials are held accountable,' said Ariunzaya Khajidmaa, a fledgling mom who joined the demonstrations with her newborn. Reform agenda meets resistance from the elite Oyun-Erdene stepping down is a major setback to his alliance's forceful reform program, which comprised a Sovereign Wealth Fund intended to reallocate revenues from Mongolia's mineral assets, such as coal and copper, to the public. The fund allows the government to claim a 34% stake in mines deemed to be of strategic national importance. Although the régime asserted that these reforms were meant to assist ordinary Mongolians through housing, healthcare, and education, they were confronted with intense hostility and resistance from the deeply rooted economically privileged. 'These people are now at the edge of losing their power—huge money, which created huge inequality in the country,' said newscaster and political expert Jargalsaikhan Dambadarjaa. 'So, they are fighting to the death against this government.' A crossroads for Mongolia's democracy Ever since it was converted into a democracy in 1991, Mongolia has struggled with political instability, and the latest predicament has rekindled discussions over the usefulness of its parliamentary structure. Some now contend for extended presidential terms, alluding to the assumed stability of adjacent authoritarian governments in China and Russia. President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, who has openly expressed his dedication to parliamentary democracy, is facing increasing pressure amid rising demands to amend term limits. 'It's a very crucial, delicate time, and it's another test to our democracy,' said Jargalsaikhan. International spectators view Mongolia as a distinct democratic bastion between surrounding authoritarian regions. Still, political analysts warn that only genuine accountability and robust governance can attract foreign investment and safeguard its democratic identity. 'It's time for the government to listen to its citizens and take meaningful, lasting action—not just offer words,' said protester Ariunzaya. 'We want stronger anti-corruption measures and a system where no one is above the law.'
