Parliamentary elections were held in Mongolia on 28 June 2024 to determine the composition of the State Great Khural. The number of MPs increased from 76 to 126 following a constitutional amendment in 2023.
According to preliminary results, the Mongolian People's Party (MPP) secured 35% of the vote and won 68 of the 126 seats. The State Great Khural re-appointed MPP chairman Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene as prime minister on 5 July.
Background.
In the 2020 parliamentary elections the Mongolian People's Party won a supermajority of 62 of the 76 seats and formed a government. However, protests in 2021 led to the resignation of Prime Minister Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh and his cabinet. More protests began in December 2022 due to a government corruption scheme in relation to coal exports.
In August 2022 the Constitutional Court annulled Article 39, Section 1 of the constitution, which allowed the Prime Minister and members of his cabinet to hold office in the Great Khural. Shortly after the ruling a series of laws where passed that gave parliament the power to amend the constitution and on 31 May 2023 the Great Khural voted to amend Article 21.1 to increase the number of seats in the Great Khural from 76 to 126. It was believed by local political analysts that these constitutional changes, coupled with an enlargement of parliament, would allow for a larger plurality of political parties and loosen the stranglehold that the MPP has held since the fall of the Soviet Union.
Redistricting.
On 18 December 2023, the ruling and opposition parties reached a consensus to redraw the electoral districts. Subsequently, the State Great Khural's plenary session passed a resolution on the creation of 2024 regular election constituencies of the State Great Khural, and the determination of the number, territory of the mandates of the constituencies, resulting in the reformation of the electoral districts. In comparison to the previous elections, there was a decrease of the constituencies, bringing the total to 13.
Electoral system.
Following the passing of a new electoral law, the elections were held using a parallel system, with 78 seats elected by multiple non-transferable vote in 13 multi-member constituencies and 48 by closed list proportional representation at the national level with an electoral threshold of 4% for individual parties, 5% for a two-party coalition and 7% for coalitions of three or more parties. To qualify for proportional seats, parties and coalitions must also have candidates running in at least half of the seats in each constituency. Party lists must adhere to the zipper system, while the overall gender ratio of candidates for a party must not be greater than 70:30 or less than 30:70. A voter turnout of 50% is required for the result in a constituency to be considered valid, or another round of voting must be held for that constituency. Voting was held in 2,198 polling stations nationwide.
Timetable.
The following timetable was approved by the General Election Commission (GEC) on January 10:
Contesting parties and candidates.
The General Election Committee of Mongolia registered a record 1,336 candidates running for the election.
Lawmakers not standing for re-election.
Twenty-two sitting members of the State Great Khural did not stand for re-election.
Campaign.
Among issues raised during the campaign were corruption, unemployment, inflation and agricultural problems.
Incidents.
Death of opposition party member.
On 16 June, B. Bayanmunkh, a member of the Democratic Party and a governor of Sant sum, was beaten to death. It was found that perpetrator was an agitator of 1st election district candidate Gürsediin Saikhanbayar. In response, the MPP decided to withdraw Saikhanbayar as a candidate. However, the GEC stated that a candidate cannot be withdrawn once they have been registered, issued an identity card and their name has been entered on the ballot paper. Saikhanbayar also stated that he will continue to campaign and compete in the elections.
Results.
Preliminary results showed the ruling Mongolia People's Party had won a narrow and reduced majority in the Khural, which allowed Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene to publicly claim victory. The Democratic Party also gained 42 seats, an increase from the 2020 election. The full official results were presented by the GEC on 1 July 2024.
Aftermath.
Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene announced early on 29 June that the MPP had won 68 seats, enough for a simple majority in the Great Khural. The Democratic Party (DP), despite falling short of the MPP, saw its largest increase in seats since its inaugural performance in the 1996 elections. Oyun-Erdene also thanked the opposition for their strong showing, stating that it showcased the health of Mongolian democracy, and that “having diverse and contrasting opinions is the essence of democracy.”
The State Great Khural re-appointed Oyun-Erdene as prime minister on 5 July.
With around 54% of the seats in parliament, the elections saw the worst result for the MPP since the 2012 election, providing it with a less dominant position in the expanded parliament.
Following the coalition talks among the MPP and the DP and HUN, the three parties formed a joint government composed of ten ministers from the MPP, eight ministers from the DP and two ministers from HUN.
References.
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