MPP conference sees escalating disputes
On December 19, the 28th conference of the Mongolian People’s Party (MPP) was opened by the Chairman of MPP and Prime Minister U.Khurelsukh. Sixty-six percent of the conference’s 396 members attended the conference.
There was a rumor that the party board decided to oust some lawmakers, including N.Nomtoibayar, J.Munkhbat, and M.Enkhbold, from the party, but this was not the case.
As a result of the full day conference, Chairman U.Khurelsukh proposed to hold accountability to Speaker M.Enkhbold, and 95 percent of the conference’s attendees agreed with the chairman’s proposal.
On December 20, MPP scheduled to hold a news conference about decisions from the December 19 conference, but all media agencies declined to report the news conference as the press believe that the long-standing disputes within MPP has stalled state operations and they are fighting for power by putting aside the nation’s interests in favor of their own interests. The press conference was cancelled because of press protest.
In his opening remarks, U.Khurelsukh said, “A political party that does not listen to the people’s and its members’ opinions will collapse, a party that cannot take measures for what the people want will lose elections. We have more work to reform the party and have to start the reform. It is time to reform the party. MPP is not a political party for oligarchs. I cannot overlook the way that rich people are taking control of the party’s leadership through illegal actions by abusing their powers, so I started holding accountability to those who engaged in illegal activities. There are many people in the party who are getting a lot of profits from Mongolia’s mineral resources every day. Speaker of Parliament M.Enkhbold has many achievements, but M.Enkhbold made an attempt to capture state power through illegal actions. M.Enkhbold’s engagement in the plot to raise a lot of money for the campaign funding of the 2016 parliamentary elections by selling government positions was revealed to the public, which is why several times I stated that M.Enkhbold should leave office as early as possible, but he still holds onto his position, ignoring demands of the party chairman, lawmakers and the public. After becoming the prime minister, I recognized a group defending the interests of an oligarchy controlling the country which exists amongst us. Since then, I have dedicated my entire efforts to getting rid of the group from the party and state. This conference will make a decision in favor of more than 200,000 members of MPP and over three million Mongolians in support of my efforts for bringing justice to society.”
Throughout his speech, the prime minister said he will ensure that his party is a people’s party, not a party of oligarchs.
M.Enkhbold stated, “As a result of the 2016 parliamentary elections, the party under my leadership took 65 out of 76 seats in Parliament. MPP won 20 provinces and more than 200 soums, and six districts in the 2016 local elections. Law enforcement agencies investigated the 60 billion MNT case four times and closed the case each time. Leaving office is not a hard decision for me but today is not an appropriate time. Some people have an interest to link the small and medium-sized enterprise loan scandal to the 60 billon MNT case.”
During the conference, lawmaker D.Oyunkhorol noted that since winning the 2012 parliamentary elections, the Democratic Party (DP) broke the people’s trust and lost the 2016 parliamentary elections.
D.Oyunkhorol said that as the ongoing disputes within the party is breaking the public’s trust and undermining the party’s reputation, U.Khurelsukh and M.Enkhbold should understand each other by stopping the confrontation between them, and expressed her personal hope that the conference will resolve the ongoing “misunderstanding” within the party.
Several conference members, including Minister of Justice Ts.Nyamdorj and former Speaker of Parliament D.Demberel, asked Speaker M.Enkhbold to resign in order to continue state operations. Ts.Nyamdorj stressed that as half of lawmakers believe that M.Enkhbold has
no right to chair parliamentary sessions, M.Enkhbold has no choice but to leave office.
Some members of MPP wanted to enter the headquarters of MPP where the conference was taking place to express their opinions to Chairman U.Khurelsukh, but the conference’s security guards did not allow them to enter the headquarters. The members protested the conference by holding signs reading, “Hold accountability to those who engaged in small and medium-sized enterprise loan misappropriation!”
During the conference, new chairman of MPP’s capital branch and Minister of Mining and Heavy Industry D.Sumiyabazar became a new member of the party board. As S.Batbold stepped down as the capital branch chairman, D.Sumiyabazar replaced S.Batbold in the party’s board. The board of 29 members is a key body of MPP that makes key decisions related to the party.
In addition, Chairman of the City Council of Ulaanbaatar S.Amarsaikhan replaced former caucus chairman of the MPP D.Khayankhyarvaa in the board.