by Eric Eisenberg
AsiaInt Weekly Alert
7/25/08
The Mongolian parliament was forced to close after newly-elected opposition members staged a walkout in protest at results from the most recent election, which extended the political dominance of the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party (MPRP).
On 23 July, during the ceremony in which new MPs are sworn in by the president, the 25 newly appointed members from the Democratic Party walked out. The party’s leader, Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, said that they would not return until their demands are met. These include a full investigation into the riots that occurred on 1 July (two days following the disputed election), the release of more than 200 prisoners who were arrested in conjunction with the riots, and the publication of election results from disputed constituencies.
Riots broke out in Ulan Bator following preliminary results that indicated that the MPRP would hold 47 seats in the 76-seat parliament. Hundreds were injured and five people died, which led to the declaration of a four-day state of emergency. On 14 July, the election commission released the final results, with the MPRP winning 39 seats, the Democratic Party winning 25 seats and smaller parties winning two seats, leaving 10 seats in dispute.
The MPRP has held a majority in parliament since January 2006, when the Motherland Democratic Coalition (MDC), which was ruling in coalition with the MPRP, disbanded. Nambaryn Enkhbayar, a pro-Russian member of the MPRP, has served as president since 2005.
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