Who will take the vacant seat in legislature?

As former lawmaker D.Gantulga’s resignation was accepted by Parliament last month and 75 legislators remain in the legislature. A parliamentary election will take place in some soums of Khentii Province to fill the empty seat in Parliament.

As Section 20.1 of the Law on Elections states that an poll to replace a lawmaker or local representatives is to take place on the last Sunday of June or on the first Sunday of October each year, Parliament decided to host the poll on October 7.

Competition between the major political parties, the Mongolian People’s Party (MPP), the Democratic Party (DP), and the Mongolian People’s Revolution Party (MPRP), has already started, although the poll date is set in October.

All 28 political parties have the right to nominate a candidate for the October 7 poll, and independents also have a constitutional right to compete, but MPP, DP and MPRP will play the leadership role because political parties and independent candidates need to spend a lot of money for poll campaigns.

An independent candidate needs to collect signatures from 801 supporters to receive an approval from the General Election Commission.

Rural voters have different perception compared to Ulaanbaatar voters, and instead of supporting candidates representing “weak” political parties or independent candidates, they generally prefer to elect candidates representing the major parties.

Not all Khentii voters will participate in the October poll, and only voters residing in Khentii Province’s Kherlen, Murun and Jargaltkhaan soums have the right to vote in the election.

The General Election Commission and State Registration Authority have made an official statement about how many people will be able to cast votes, but 15,713 voters were registered at the soums in the 2016 parliamentary election.

As the main political parties believe that the October poll is a crucial test before the 2020 parliamentary election, they are all eager to win.

Currently, it is not clear when the parties will announce their candidates, but it is obvious that the race for the vacant seat in Parliament will start after Naadam.

MONGOLIAN PEOPLE’S

REVOLUTION PARTY

Since the allegation that D.Gantulga commited rape spread rapidly during the presidential election campaign, Chairman of MPRP N.Enkhbayar, who realized that he had no chance to run for president in

the 2017 election, turned his attention to Khentii voters.

N.Enkhbayar has been showering attention to Khentii residents, especially ones in Kherlen, Murun and Jargaltkhaan soums, since the end of last year by holding several meetings with them, and he also gave gifts to many seniors of Kherlen and Murun soums before the 2018 Tsagaan Sar. He kept in touch with them for over a year, which illustrates that N.Enkhbayar already started his poll campaign for the October poll a year ago anticipating that D.Gantulga would leave Parliament one way or another.

During his meetings with Khentii residents, N.Enkhbayar repeatedly says that as his ancestors originated from Khentii Province on his mother’s side, and as his mother Ts.Budkhand was born in Dadal soum of Khentii Province, and Khentii holds a special place in his heart.

To win favor in the upcoming poll in the province, politicians will try to trick Khentii voters by saying something like, “As Khentii residents inhabit Chinggis Khaan’s birthplace, you are proud of Mongolia because you are the great khaan’s descendants or custodians of his holy birthplace”.

As N.Enkhbayar is a smart politician who is well-experienced in persuading the masses to gain votes, he is using the same popular brainwashing technique on Khentii voters.

In his speeches, N.Enkhbayar says that Khentii is Chinggis Khaan’s birthplace, but its development and people’s lives are very poor, so Mongolia’s bright future and new development era should start from Khentii.

In a recent interview, Secretary General of MPRP B.Tulga noted that the party will nominate N.Enkhbayar or Vice Chairman of MPRP S.Ganbaatar, who earned 30 percent of votes in the 2017 presidential election, as a candidate for the October 7 poll.

It is clear that N.Enkhbayar is plotting to seize this great opportunity as he was edged out of the 2012 and 2016 parliamentary elections and 2013 and 2017 presidential elections by the ruling parties. N.Enkhbayar is considered as the strongest candidate for the October poll, but it is too early to celebrate his victory.

Some political observers view that if N.Enkhbayar or his puppet enters Parliament before 2020, MPRP will gain a chance to increase its political influence and win more votes at the next parliamentary election.

MONGOLIAN PEOPLE’S PARTY

MPP doesn’t want to lose to DP or MPRP. Political observers believe that Prime Minister U.Khurelsukh and Mayor of Khentii Province N.Ganbyamba, who was a legislator before, will be strong candidates against N.Enkhbayar.

Some local media reported that U.Khurelsukh doesn’t want to run in the October poll as he has too much work to do before 2020, but recent developments with respect to Tavan Tolgoi, oil refinery, child money and other infrastructure megaprojects might prompt U.Khurelsukh to run in the upcoming poll.

Even if U.Khurelsukh doesn’t compete for the vacant seat in Parliament, the recent works U.Khurelsukh’s Cabinet is carrying out will help support his party’s candidate.

DEMOCRATIC PARTY

The party desperately wants to win the upcoming poll because DP lawmaker D.Murat could soon lose his immunity. If Murat is ousted, DP will take a big hit as a political party can only form a caucus if it has nine or more seats in Parliament.

Winning this election will bring hope in the 2020 parliamentary election for DP, but they don’t have enough popular candidates against MPP and MPRP.

A month ago, some local media reported that if the major political parties want to win the October poll, they need to nominate candidates who are known nationwide, which is why former President Ts.Elbegdorj might be a possible candidate for DP, but this is almost impossible because people’s view of Ts.Elbegdorj has soured dramatically.

Former Mayor of Khentii Province J.Oyunbaatar is the greatest hope of DP, who lost to D.Gantulga in the 2016 election, but 5,426 voters (44.1 percent) supported J.Oyunbaatar when D.Gantulga won 47.4 percent with 5,841 votes, which shows how much Khentii voters supported him.

Although B.Garamgaibaatar, who was elected from Khentii Province in 2012, and businessman M.Khuderbaatar, who lost to MP B.Bat-Erdene in the 2016 election, have aspirations for the vacant parliamentary seat, they will not make strong competitors against candidates like U.Khurelsukh and N.Enkhbayar.

...Former Mayor of Khentii Province J.Oyunbaatar is the greatest hope of DP, who lost to D.Gantulga in the 2016 election, but 5,426 voters (44.1 percent) supported J.Oyunbaatar when D.Gantulga won 47.4 percent with 5,841 votes, which shows how much Khentii voters supported him...