Opposition Party Claims Victory in Mongolia’s Presidential Election
By Heather Konjura
May 27, 2009

On Monday, May 25th, 2009, Tshahiagiin Elbegdorj, two-time former Prime Minister and member of the Democratic Party, claimed victory in Mongolia’s presidential election.  In an effort to prevent a repeat of the violent unrest that followed last year’s disputed parliamentary elections results, the incumbent, Enkbayar Nambar of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party, quickly conceded and declared the election was fair.

The Associated Press writes that the country's General Election Commission said Mongolian Democratic Party candidate Tshahiagiin Elbegdorj won 51.24 percent of the votes, while incumbent Enkbayar Nambar won 47.44 percent.  The General Election Commission reported that the turnout was 73.52 percent of the country's 1.6 million registered voters.  The New York Times further writes that approximately 50 international election observers monitored polling stations around the country.  Representatives of both parties were also on hand with video cameras to make sure the voting went smoothly.  There were no major election problems reported from either party. 

The New York Times writes that “the global downturn has left Mongolia’s coalition government scrambling to obtain a greater profit share of the nation’s vast mineral resources, an issue both candidates used to drum up popular support.”  During his campaign, Mr. Elbegdorj promised to share more of the country's mining wealth with the public, rather than foreign investors, and vowed to reform the judiciary and route out corruption.

In a Press Release issued by the U.S. Department of State on May 26, 2009, Department Spokesman Ian Kelly writes that the United States congratulates the people of Mongolia on their recent presidential election.  He further writes that “We applaud the people and government of Mongolia for conducting Sunday’s election in a fair and transparent manner, in accordance with the Mongolian constitution.  Preliminary evaluations of independent observers indicate election problems were minimal, and there have been no reports of election-related violence.  This election is a clear demonstration of Mongolia’s continued commitment to democratic reform and represents a real achievement for such a young democracy.”
References:

U.S. Department of State – Mongolia: Presidential Election

The New York Times – Opposition Wins Presidency in Mongolia

Reuters – Opposition Wins Mongolia Presidential Election

The Associated Press – Mongolian Opposition Candidate Claims Presidency

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