Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia — Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene declared victory early Saturday in parliamentary elections, after a contest dominated by deepening public anger about corruption and the state of the economy.
People across the vast, sparsely populated nation of 3.4 million, sandwiched between China and Russia, voted Friday to elect 126 members of the State Great Khural.
With 100 percent of votes counted by machine, the prime minister told a press conference in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, a few hours after polls closed that his ruling Mongolian People's Party (MPP) had won a majority of seats.
"According to the pre-results, the Mongolian People's Party has 68 to 70 seats," he said.
The vote, he said, represented a "new page" in "democratic debate."
The votes were being counted by hand, and an official result was expected later Saturday.
If the preliminary results hold, the MPP will see its overall share of parliamentary seats fall, from a supermajority of 79% in 2020 to about 54% in the new one.
Results tallied by local media outlet Ikon based on official data also showed the MPP winning 68 seats, with the main opposition Democratic Party winning 42.
The minor anti-corruption HUN party won eight, Ikon reported.
Voter turnout was 69.3% nationally, a screen at the country's Electoral Commission headquarters showed.
Julian Dierkes, a professor at the University of British Columbia and an expert on Mongolian politics, wrote that "everything points to a reduced MPP majority with a surprisingly strong showing" by the Democratic Party.
"The relatively strong turnout," he said, also suggests "desire for some change."
Deep frustration
Analysts had expected the MPP to retain the majority it has enjoyed since 2016 and govern for another four years.
They say the party can credit much of its success to a boom in coal mining that fueled double-digit growth and dramatically improved standards of living, as well as to a formidable party machine and a weak, fractured opposition.
Yet there is deep public frustration over endemic corruption, as well as the high cost of living and lack of opportunities for young people who make up almost two-thirds of the population.
There is also a widespread belief that the proceeds of the coal-mining boom are being hoarded by a wealthy elite – a view that has sparked frequent protests.
Broad spectrum
The streets of Ulaanbaatar, home to almost half of Mongolia's population, have been decked out this week with colorful campaign posters touting candidates from across the political spectrum, from populist businessmen to nationalists, environmentalists and socialists.
Parties are required by law to ensure that 30% of candidates are women in a country where politics is dominated by men.
Preliminary results Saturday suggested that 25% of seats in the new parliament would be held by women, up from 17% in 2020.
The MPP is the successor to the communist party that ruled Mongolia with an iron grip for almost 70 years.
It remains popular, particularly among rural, older voters, and commands a sprawling, nationwide campaign apparatus.
