Mongolia run-off vote

ULAANBAATAR: No candidate has won an outright victory in Mongolia’s presidential election, meaning the first ever run-off between two leading candidates will be held next month, the General Election Committee said yesterday.

A populist former martial arts star Khaltmaa Battulga of the opposition Democratic Party won the most votes in the Monday election, but failed to secure a majority. He will face ruling Mongolian People’s Party candidate Miyeegombo Enkhbold, who came second, in a run-off on July 9. The election was seen as a referendum on the government’s economic recovery plans. Reuters