Mongolia's MPRP prepares for a return to power

7/14/00

Even in their wildest dreams, neither the winners nor the losers of the recent Mongolian elections could have anticipated the final result – a crushing landslide by the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP). For the victors, the major challenge now will be delivering on a campaign promise to promote economic development while enhancing the social welfare safety net. Meanwhile, the vanquished – the outgoing coalition of the Mongolian National Democratic Party (MNDP) and the Mongolian Social Democratic Party (MSDP) – face the formidable task of repairing their credibility as a political force.

In the July 2 parliamentary election, the MPRP gained 72 out of the 76 seats up for grabs. The results represented a stunning reversal of fortune for the MPRP, the political successor to the Communists that dominated Mongolian politics for over 75 years. Following the adoption of a new constitution in 1992, the MPRP successfully retooled to compete in a democratic political environment.

The political transformation was not easy. In the 1996 elections for the State Ih (Great) Hural, or parliament, the MNDP-MSDP coalition gained a large majority with 50 seats. The MPRP was reduced to the status of main opposition, with 25 representatives in the legislature. The MPRP leadership spent their years out of power reorganizing the party's power base, taking advantage of the fact that approximately two-thirds of all the local officials elected in municipal elections in 1996 were MPRP members.

Poor economic conditions in Mongolia helped the MPRP in its comeback. Several scandals involving top officials additionally served to discredit incumbents, and contribute to government instability. The MPRP was aggressive in seizing on the economic issue. Although controversial, the campaign motto of the MPRP, "Let's Take The State Out From Crisis, And Let's Save The People From Poverty," found broad appeal among the electorate.

In sweeping to its overwhelming victory, the MPRP also benefited from the short memory span of young voters. Most young people in Mongolia do not associate the MPRP with the previous political regime and system in Mongolia. For them, the party's image is linked with the rejuvenated leadership led by chairman Nambaryn Enhbayar, a 42-year-old Moscow trained translator who served as Minister of Culture from 1992-1996. The MPRP leadership worked hard to distance the party from its communist heritage, while at the same time reminding voters of some positive advances made during the communist era. {For background on the MPRP see EurasiaNet's Mongolia Election Watch].

How the MPRP acts to fulfil its campaign commitments will be scrutinized in the coming weeks. The platform of the MPRP provides a very broad outline of its priorities. It stresses the development of "state policy on social and economic development matching the nation's specifics; export-oriented economy relying on the private sector; more focus on the individual, pillar of development; introduction of a more efficient social security structure; and the elaboration and implementation of the regional development doctrine." The new parliament is scheduled to convene July 17. The first order of business will be the appointment of a new Prime Minister and Cabinet.

The election results have left the leaders of the MNDP-MSDP coalition in a daze. Candidates from both parties in the ruling coalition had been fielded in all 76 constituencies, but this time standing for their respective movements separately. In the next parliament, the MNDP is to be represented by only one lawmaker, ex-Prime Minister J.Narantsatsralt, while the Social Democrats will not have representation in the legislature.

Among the other non-MPRP legislators-elect is the leader of the newly emerged Civil Courage Party, S. Oyun, who replaced in the outgoing parliament her assassinated brother S. Zorig – leader of the democratic movement in Mongolia. The remaining two are both from business community: B.Erdenebat owner of the Erel Holding and chairman of the Mongolian Democratic New Socialist Party; and independent candidate L.Gundalai, a German educated medical doctor currently engaged in trading.

Some officials of the MNDP and MSDP have said the next step for democratic parties will be to undertake a thorough reorganization in an attempt to make their parties more competitive in municipal elections scheduled to be held later this year.

A notable feature of the 2000 election was the cost of the campaign. Colossal amounts by local standards were spent on campaign advertising – ranging from traditional leaflets to extensive electronic media coverage, on various sorts of entertainment. But big money didn't necessarily guarantee ultimate success, for a number of leading entrepreneurs, including B.Jargalsaihan (Buyan Co.), H. Battulga ( Bayangol Hotel ), Ch. Enhtaivan ( Tsagaan Shonhor Co. ).

Editor's Note: An EurasiaNet correspondent based in Mongolia provided information for this article

Posted July 14, 2000 © Eurasianet