MONGOLIA: Scuffles outside Mongolian parliament as nation awaits appointment of new Prime Minister.

Record ID: 687573

  • Title: MONGOLIA: Scuffles outside Mongolian parliament as nation awaits appointment of new Prime Minister.
  • Date: 18th January 2006
  • Summary: SOUNDBITE (English) OTGONBAYAR SAYING: "Right now, the corruption issue has become a newspaper battle between politicians and we do believe that all cases have to be tried and all cases have to be made clear, whether the person is corrupt or not"
  • Embargoed: 2nd February 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Mongolia
  • Country: Mongolia
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA8Y08A2R5XQCFUMLLKN3VPC6XQ
  • Story Text: More than 150 protesters scuffled with police in Ulan Bator on Wednesday (January 18) as demonstrations against the dissolution of the government continued.
    Political turmoil began last week when more than half the members of the cabinet - all from the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) - resigned from the coalition government of Prime Minister Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, forcing him to stand down. The MPRP has nominated its chief, Ulan Bator mayor Enkhbold, to be the prime minister.
    Wednesday's protesters said they were opposed to the appointment of Enkhbold and said the President should also step down.
    "The President Enkhbayar is defending and protecting Enkhbold and he wants Enkhbold to be the new prime minister, but we are 100 per cent against this," said protester Dorjsuren.
    The parliament's standing committee is due to discuss Enkhbold's nomination on Wednesday before debate in a general session.
    The MPRP has cited a decline in economic growth and a rise in inflation as reasons for backing out of Elbegdorj's government.
    In an interview on Wednesday, the MPRP said it hoped the new government would be able to tackle unemployment, the flagging economy and corruption.
    "Right now, the corruption issue has become a newspaper battle between politicians and we do believe that all cases have to be tried and all cases have to be made clear, whether the person is corrupt or not," said Otgonbayar, the Secretary of the MPRP.
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