Latest news with #Oyun-Erdene
Morocco World
6 hours ago
- Business
- Morocco World
Mongolia's Prime Minister Resigns After Protests Spark No-Confidence Vote
A historic no-confidence vote has resulted in Mongolia's Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene becoming the latest Asian leader to resign after protests. Oyun-Erdene resigned on Tuesday following a vote of no confidence. This comes after a period of mass protests across Ulaanbaatar. Oyun-Erdene has become only the latest Asian leader to be removed due to large protest movements. Other leaders such as ex-Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and ex-Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa have been forced to resign in recent years. Mongolia is a landlocked country situated between Russia and China. The country was ruled under a one-party communist state system during the cold war, only becoming a democracy after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Since then, there has been a continued and sustained effort to try and build a strong democratic system. However, many in the country have alleged that Mongolia has suffered from widespread corruption. Wealthy business and political elites have been hoarding profits from a years-long coal mining boom. In the Transparency International Corruption Index the country has fallen several places to 114 out of 180 countries. Oyun-Erdene is the leader of the Mongolian People's Party and has been prime minister for the past four years. During the 2024 election there were a series of political reforms, including the expansion of parliament from 76 seats to 126. This led to the MPP losing its majority and having to form a coalition government. This coalition collapsed last month when the Democratic Party was expelled. 'Resignation is easy' Oyun-Erdene has come under increased scrutiny in recent months with allegations of family corruption. This was sparked by reports of lavish spending, including Oyun-Erdene's son during an extravagant marriage proposal posted on social media. This sparked outrage with large protests erupting across Mongolia largely centred around Ulaanbaatar. Protestors called for the resignation of the Prime Minister, and on Monday many people went to the streets stating that 'resignation is easy.' The Prime Minister rejected the allegations of corruption and accused the protestors of having major visible and hidden interests. Oyun-Erdene also claimed that the protests would just lead to a fractious political situation and economic chaos if he was forced from power. Early on Tuesday, the Mongolian parliament held a vote of no-confidence on the Prime Minister's leadership. The result of the vote was 44 in favor and 38 against his leadership. This vote meant he didn't reach the necessary 64-vote threshold and Oyun-Erdene was therefore forced to resign from his office. 'It was an honour to serve my country and people in times of difficulties including pandemics, wars and tariffs,' Oyun-Erdene stated, adding that he will remain in place until a new leader is selected within at least the next 30 days. This event has led to renewed instability in Mongolia's politics and will have a clear impact on its future.
Muscat Daily
7 hours ago
- Business
- Muscat Daily
Mongolian PM resigns after losing confidence vote
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia – Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene resigned on Tuesday after failing to secure enough support in a confidence vote, a parliamentary statement said. It comes after weeks of public protests against allegations of corruption. Oyun-Erdene received just 44 votes in the 126-seat parliament, well below the 64 needed to remain in office. Following the declaration of the results, Oyun-Erdene said: 'It was an honour to serve my country and people in times of difficulties, including pandemics, wars, and tariffs.' He will remain a caretaker role until a successor is appointed within 30 days. Political crisis brews Prior to the vote, Oyun-Erdene has warned that the confidence motion could cause instability and posed a threat to democracy in the country. '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. Formerly communist Mongolia adopted democracy after the fall of the Soviet Union. Last month, Oyun-Erdene's Mongolian People's Party (MPP) expelled the Democratic Party (DP) from the ruling coalition after some of its younger lawmakers backed calls for the prime minister's resignation. Protests against corruption The prime minister's resignation follows days of youth-led protests in capital Ulaanbaatar calling for his ouster over inequality, corruption, and rising living costs, with citizens demanding reform and accountability. Reports of lavish spending by Oyun-Erdene's son fuelled the protesters. The protesters have said the country's mineral riches have benefited businesses and the wealthy, while many Mongolians still live in poverty. In a statement to AFP last month, the prime minister's office said it 'vehemently' denied the allegations, labelling them as a 'smear'. Mongolia's drop in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index since Oyun-Erdene came to power in 2021 also did not help his cause. DW
Indian Express
7 hours ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Mongolia's PM resigns after son's holiday photos spark widespread protests
Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene has stepped down following public anger over photos showing his son's expensive holiday. The images, which spread widely on social media, showed Oyun-Erdene's son and his fiancée carrying luxury shopping bags, including a black Dior bag. One photo, said to have been posted by the fiancée, was captioned: 'Happy birthday to me.' Another picture appeared to show the couple in a swimming pool. The photos led to an investigation by the country's anti-corruption agency. Many people questioned how the PM's family could afford such a lifestyle. For two weeks, hundreds of mostly young protesters gathered in Ulaanbaatar, calling for Oyun-Erdene's resignation. Oyun-Erdene lost a confidence vote in parliament on Tuesday. Of the 88 lawmakers who voted, 44 supported him and 38 voted against. He needed at least 64 votes in the 126-member parliament to stay in office. 'It was an honour to serve my country and people in times of difficulties, including pandemics, wars, and tariffs,' Oyun-Erdene said after the vote, as quoted by the BBC. He denied any wrongdoing and said the accusations were part of a political attack. 'Critics are trying to damage my reputation with a smear campaign,' he said. Transparency International, a global anti-corruption watchdog, ranked Mongolia 114th out of 180 countries last year. The BBC noted that the country's corruption situation has worsened since Oyun-Erdene became prime minister. Mongolia, located between Russia and China, has been working to strengthen its democracy since the early 1990s. It has also been building closer relations with Western countries as part of its 'third neighbour' policy, which aims to reduce dependence on its two large neighbours. In a separate case, US prosecutors last year accused former prime minister Sukhbaatar Batbold of using stolen mining funds to buy property in New York. Batbold, who led the government from 2012 to 2015, denied the charges.
GMA Network
7 hours ago
- Business
- GMA Network
Mongolia PM resigns after anti-corruption protests
Munkhnaran Bayarlkhagva, a political analyst and former adviser on Mongolia's National Security Council, said protesters had effectively helped force a vote on "the legitimacy of the (country's) political system". "The Mongolian Generation Z showed they are willing and able to be a politically engaged, mature and active electorate," he told AFP. ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia - Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene resigned on Tuesday following weeks of anti-corruption protests in the country's capital. The landlocked democracy in northern Asia has battled deep-seated corruption for decades, with many arguing that wealthy elites are hoarding the profits of a years-long coal mining boom at the expense of the general population. Frustrations have flared since last month as public suspicions over the supposedly lavish lifestyles of the prime minister's family have fuelled persistent demonstrations in the capital Ulaanbaatar. Oyun-Erdene announced his resignation on Tuesday after losing a confidence vote among lawmakers, according to a parliamentary statement. "It was an honour to serve my country and people in times of difficulties, including pandemics, wars, and tariffs," he said after the result of the secret ballot was announced to parliament. He will remain as caretaker prime minister until his successor is appointed within 30 days. Dozens of young people gathered on the square outside the parliament building on Tuesday, holding white placards reading "Resignation is easy" -- a popular slogan at recent protests. Several voiced pride that they had taken a stand against what they described as deeply embedded corruption and social injustice. "The youth protest has achieved great results. I'm so proud of the future of Mongolia," participant Unur Sukhbaatar, a 37-year-old political economy researcher, told AFP. "The public wants more stable governance with ethical politicians... protesting and unifying our voice for systemic change (shows) that Mongolian democracy is alive," he told AFP. Some counter-protesters -- overwhelmingly older than their pro-opposition counterparts -- have also turned out to support Oyun-Erdene in recent weeks. Secret ballot Julian Dierkes, a Mongolia expert at Germany's University of Mannheim, said he "(didn't) expect any successor to adopt substantially different policies" from Oyun-Erdene, including on corruption. His ouster "may mean the resurgence of factional politics in his party" after years of comparative stability at the top of Mongolian politics, Dierkes told AFP. Oyun-Erdene has denied the corruption allegations, and in an address to parliament before the vote, blamed "major, visible and hidden interests" for waging an "organised campaign" to bring down the government. He had also warned of political instability and economic chaos if forced out of power. But it was not enough as only 44 lawmakers voted to retain confidence in him, with 38 against. That did not reach the 64-vote threshold required from the 126-seat parliament, prompting Oyun-Erdene to stand down. Gen Z power The move pushed the country's fractious political scene into further uncertainty. Mongolia had been ruled by a three-way coalition government since elections last year resulted in a significantly reduced majority for Oyun-Erdene's Mongolian People's Party (MPP). But the MPP evicted the second-largest member, the Democratic Party (DP), from the coalition last month after some younger DP lawmakers backed calls for Oyun-Erdene's resignation. DP lawmakers walked out of the parliamentary chamber during the confidence ballot. Munkhnaran Bayarlkhagva, a political analyst and former adviser on Mongolia's National Security Council, said protesters had effectively helped force a vote on "the legitimacy of the (country's) political system". "The Mongolian Generation Z showed they are willing and able to be a politically engaged, mature and active electorate," he told AFP. "The Mongolian political establishment had no choice but to comply to retain popular support." 'Strong reminder' Sandwiched between regional giants China and Russia, Mongolia was a communist state during the Cold War, but has transformed into a democracy since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Since Oyun-Erdene took power in 2021, Mongolia's ranking in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index has dropped. Concerns over the economy and rising living costs have also stoked unrest. The protests against Oyun-Erdene began in May following accusations of lavish spending by his son, whose fiancee was reportedly seen with expensive gifts on social media. "Parliament showed they can put the public interest above party needs," small business owner Erchissaran Ganbold, 28, told AFP at Tuesday's protest. "This demonstration is a strong reminder for politicians to be accountable and transparent in the future." — Agence France-Presse
Saudi Gazette
10 hours ago
- Business
- Saudi Gazette
Mongolia PM resigns after son's luxury holiday stirs public fury
ULAANBATAAR — Mongolia's prime minister has resigned after social media photos of his son's lavish lifestyle sparked an anti-corruption investigation and weeks of mass protests. Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene, who has denied wrongdoing, lost a confidence vote in parliament on Tuesday. The viral photos purport to show Oyun-Erdene's son and the son's girlfriend flaunting a black Dior shoulder bag and several shopping bags while on their engagement holiday. Protesters questioned how Oyun-Erdene's family could afford such luxurious living. Local media reported that the country's anti-corruption body had been looking into their finances. The photo of the Dior bag, reportedly posted by the girlfriend, had the caption: "Happy birthday to me". Another photo purportedly showed the couple kissing in a swimming pool. The images have been shared on social media and published by local Tuesday's confidence vote, 44 of the 88 lawmakers who took part in the secret ballot voted for Oyun-Erdene, while 38 others voted against him. He needed the support of at least 64 of parliament's 126 members."It was an honor to serve my country and people in times of difficulties, including pandemics, wars, and tariffs," he said after the of protesters, many of them young people, had been taking to the streets for two weeks before the vote, demanding Oyun-Erdene's has rejected allegations of corruption, accusing critics of launching a smear campaign against to Transparency International, Mongolia has seen worsening corruption since Oyun-Erdene came into power. Last year, it was ranked 114th out of 180 countries in terms of government transparency.A former communist state sandwiched between Russia and China, Mongolia has been transitioning to democracy since the fall of the Soviet Union in the early is a persistent problem. Last year, US prosecutors sought to forfeit former Mongolian PM Sukhbaatar Batbold's two New York apartments that he allegedly bought using stolen mining who served from 2012 to 2015, denied recent years, Mongolia has sought to build closer ties with the West, counting the United States and European countries as part of its "third neighbor" foreign policy. — BBC
