MONGOLIA: An uneasy calm envelops Mongolia's capital a day after riots leave five dead

Record ID: 260800

  • Title: MONGOLIA: An uneasy calm envelops Mongolia's capital a day after riots leave five dead
  • Date: 2nd July 2008
  • Summary: PEOPLE LOOKING AT BURNT OUT CAR
  • Embargoed: 17th July 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Mongolia
  • Country: Mongolia
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAF1NIPKH2ZNGS9TG6A5PTE3U0R
  • Story Text: Police seal off roads around government buildings and residents survey the damage to Mongolia's capital after five people die in post election violence.
    On Wednesday (July 2) residents of Ulan Bator tentatively survey the damage caused by a political riot in Mongolia's capital the day before.
    Five people were killed and more than 300 injured during the riot among people alleging fraud in the weekend's election.
    President Nambariin Enkhbayar declared a four-day state of emergency late on Tuesday, after protesters set fire to the headquarters of the ruling party and clashed with police well into Wednesday morning.
    At least one foreigner, a Japanese citizen, was among those injured in the rioting and around 700 people were detained for their part in the violence.
    By daybreak there was a heavy police presence around the capital square and the roads around the government building were sealed off.
    Mongolia's election committee has yet to give the final result of Sunday's vote, but preliminary results give the ruling Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) a clear majority in the 76-seat parliament.
    The General Election Committee of Mongolia vowed to press on with vote-counting.
    But the leader of the opposition Democratic Party Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj rejected the results, even though international observers say that overall the election was free and fair.
    Some residents in the capital blamed the Democrats for the post-election violence.

    "The thing is, it is wrong for the people defeated in an election to take revenge this way, by sacrificing people's lives. It is especially wrong for Mr Elbegdorj who provoked the people to do this while staying away from it himself," said 37-year-old Demberal Ninj.

    "My feeling is some people had intentionally provoked others and organised this to create chaos," said 36-year-old Munkhtsetseg Sambuu.
    The Democratic Party had called its candidates from around the country to Ulan Bator, where they intended to present details of election fraud.
    Its supporters said the ruling party was to blame for not conducting a fair election.

    "The election was not fair. I travel to the countryside often and I have heard of many instances of such election fraud. People are talking about it now and there is no need to hide it. The issue would have been resolved in a peaceful way if the parties had sat down and had a discussion about it. But now, we are in this strange situation and the MPRP has to take responsibility for this," said 63-year-old Tserendorj Ganbold.
    The chaos threatens to further delay deals that could unlock vast reserves of coal, uranium and other resources beneath the country's vast steppes and deserts, and are seen as key to lifting the isolated Central Asian state out of poverty.
    Investors have pinned hopes on a majority government being able to shunt through long-delayed amendments to the Minerals Law and the passage of the draft investment deal that would allow the Gobi desert Oyu Tolgoi copper and gold project to go ahead.
    The agreement which developers Ivanhoe Mines and Rio Tinto say would increase Mongolia's GDP by 34 percent, could clear the way for future deals to extract its resources.
    Although ruled by an unstable coalition government for four years, the country of vast grasslands and deserts is often viewed as a rare example of democracy in Central Asia.
    But new election rules that changed the first-past-the-post system to one of multi-member constituencies have led to procedural problems and some confusion over how votes should be counted.
    The state of emergency means protests are banned and authorises security forces to break up protests using force.
    Central areas have been put under curfew from 10 p.m. to 8 p.m. and alcohol sales are banned over the period.
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