Mongolia, with a population of three million, is a multiparty,
parliamentary democracy. The most recent presidential election,
held in May 2009 and considered largely free and fair, was won
by former prime minister Tsakhia Elbegdorj of the Democratic
Party. Prime Minister Sukhbaatar Batbold and his majority
Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) continued to
dominate the parliament but governed under a unity government
with the Democratic Party. Security forces reported to civilian
authorities. While the law provides for protection of basic
human rights, the following human rights problems were noted:
police abuse of prisoners and detainees; uneven enforcement of
the law and official impunity; poor conditions in detention
centers; arbitrary arrest, lengthy pretrial detention, and
corruption within the judicial system; government interference
in the media; continued refusal by some provincial governments
to register Christian churches; secrecy laws and a lack of
transparency in government affairs; inade