- Title: MONGOLIA: ELECTIONS PREVIEW.
- Date: 26th June 2004
- Summary: (W3)ZUUNMOD, CENTRAL PROVINCE, MONGOLIA (JUNE 25,2004) (REUTERS) 1. SCENEIC SHOT ZUUNMOD 2. "MOTHERLAND DEMOCRATIC COALITION" CAMPAIGNING IN COUNTRYSIDE 3. PEOPLE WAVING FLAGS; CLOSE UP YOUNG PEOPLE WAVING FLAGS; MORE OF PEOPLE STANDING ON HILL WAVING FLAGS; CLOSE UP YOUNG BOY 4. MORE OF CAMPAIGNING 5. (SOUNDBITE) (Mongolian), SUKHBAATAR, DEMOCRATIC PARTY CANDIDATE SAYING: "Today, Mongolian people are living in very hard conditions. There is extreme poverty and there is a great need to do something to get people out of this situation. Right now, after 14 years of transition, the economy is basically not picking up, it's stagnant. It looks like we are returning back to the socialist ways. We are really here to stop this and reverse all the mistakes that have been made so far." 6. "MONGOLIA PEOPLE'S REVOLUTIONARY PARTY-MPRP" CAMPAIGNING 7. DEMOCRATIC PARTY MEMBERS WALKING BY, WAVING FLAGS; CLOSE UP OF YOUNG BOY WATCHING 8. BAND PLAYING MUSIC; CLOSE UP OF DRUM PLAYER 9. PEOPLE SITTING, WATCHING AT "MPRP" RALLY; CLOSE UP OF GIRLS CHANTING; MORE OF "MPRP" RALLY; CLOSE UP OF "MPRP" FLAG 10. SOUNDBITE (Mongolian), ENKHABAT, 34-YEAR BUSINESSMAN SAYING: "The main thing is to reduce poverty and joblessness. That is actually what is written down in a party programme for the next few years. The plan is to improve the lives of the middle class but also at the same time to get the poor to the level of the middle class. We hope to create at least 145,000 new jobs and to help poor people get out of this poverty soon." 11. PEOPLE WATCHING TRADITIONAL MONGOLIAN WRESTLING; MEN WRESTLING; YOUNG PEOPLE CHEERING; CLOSE UP OF OLD MAN WATCHING (W3) ULAN BATOR, MONGOLIA (JUNE 25, 2004) (REUTERS) 12. INTERSECTION, CAMPAIGN POSTERS; PARTY POSTERS ON DISPLAY; BILLBOARDS ON DISPLAY Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 11th July 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ZUUNMOD TOWN, BAYANHOSHUU DISTRICT AND ULAN BATOR, MONGOLIA
- Country: Mongolia
- Reuters ID: LVA2DWUYZD6WN89W8Z8EJ2NGOX0W
- Story Text: Mongolians gear up to vote in parliamentary polls in
which the ruling Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party is
expected to return to power.
Mongolians vote on Sunday (June 27) between the
ruling Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party and the
opposition Motherland Democratic Coalition.
And their choice may depend on anything but policy
pledges.
The MPRP has 72 seats in the 76-seat "Great Hural", or
parliament, and is widely expected to be returned to power
in one of the world's poorest and most sparsely populated
countries.
It will probably lose only just a handful of seats to a
divided opposition.
In terms of policy platforms -- elimination of poverty,
cutting of taxes, boosting welfare and providing jobs --
the two sides have a lot in common.
A western diplomat said a week in Mongolian politics is
a long time and anything could happen.
But most analysts see the MPRP winning easily after
providing four years of economic stability.
The Motherland Democratic Coalition has run a
deliberately low-key campaign and decried the government
for wasting money on rallies, banners and television
campaigning.
"Today, Mongolian people are living in very hard
conditions. There is extreme poverty and there is a great
need to do something to get people out of this situation.
Right now, after 14 years of transition, the economy is
basically not picking up, it's stagnant. It looks like we
are returning back to the socialist ways. We are really
here to stop this and reverse all the mistakes that have
been made so far," said Sukhbaatar, a Democratic Party
Candidate.
The MPRP ruled for 75 years until 1996 -- most of that
time as a one-party Soviet satellite.
It returned to power in 2000 on a wave of popular anger
against the bitterly divided Democratic Union coalition.
Party supporters say the MPRP is ambitiously pushing
ahead with social reform.
"The main thing is to reduce poverty and joblessness.
That is actually what is written down in a party programme
for the next few years. The plan is to improve the lives of
the middle class but also at the same time to get the poor to
the level of the middle class. We hope to create at least
145,000 new jobs and to help poor people get out this
poverty soon," said Enkhabat, a 34-year old businessman.
Since it came back to power, opposition politicians
have accused the MPRP of using its majority in parliament
to curb media freedoms and soft-pedal on economic reforms.
About half Mongolia's 2.7 million population are Nomads.
They herd the tens of millions of cattle, sheep, horses
and camels grazing the vast meadows that cover four-fifths
of the country.
Many will be travelling for hours by horse or camel to
vote on Sunday.
The booths open at 7 a.m. (2200 GMT Saturday) and close
at 10 p.m. (1300 GMT).
Results are expected early on Monday.
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