He boasted of helicopter rides, lavish proposal. It cost his father the Mongolian PM’s post

Why does one lose their job? Most often it’s because of ineffectiveness. However, in Mongolia, Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrain has been ousted from his position owing to his son — namely his son’s lavish spending, which prompted massive protests in the landlocked nation.

On Tuesday, Luvsannamsrain was ousted from the position of prime minister after failing to secure enough votes in a parliamentary confidence motion. Speaking after the loss, the Mongolian leader said, “It was an honour to serve my country and people in times of difficulties, including pandemics, wars, and tariffs.” He will remain as caretaker prime minister until his successor is appointed within 30 days.

With his ouster, the landlocked nation of just 3.5 million people sandwiched between authoritarian giants China and Russia is at risk of plunging into political turmoil.

Let’s take a closer look at what has happened so far and what it means for the tiny country.

Mongolia’s Oyun-Erdene loses confidence motion

On Tuesday, Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene, the Harvard-educated prime minister, received just 44 votes in parliament, well short of the 64 needed.

Before the vote, Oyun-Erdene tried his level best to remain in power, issuing a warning that the vote could lead to instability and shake Mongolia’s fledgling democracy. “If governance becomes unstable, the economic situation deteriorates, and political parties cannot come to consensus. It could lead the public to lose faith in parliamentary rule and potentially put our democratic parliamentary system at risk of collapse,” he said.

He further denied the accusations of corruption levelled against him, blaming “major, visible and hidden interests” for waging an “organised campaign” to bring down the government.

But it seems that the lawmakers were in no mood to listen to the prime minister and ousted him from power. Now, the coalition government has 30 days to select Oyun-Erdene’s successor until which he will remain as caretaker PM.

Corruption claims against Oyun-Erdene

The end of Oyun-Erdene’s regime — he held the post for four years and survived previous calls to step down — is a result of a confidence motion called against him.

Since mid-May, the Mongolian public has been demanding for Oyun-Erdene to step down over the extravagant lifestyle of son, Temuulen, which is in stark contrast to the widespread poverty in Mongolia. In fact, for many Mongolians, Temuulen became a symbol of the “privileged culture” of political elites.

According to analysts, the protests were triggered by Temuulen’s social media posts, which displayed the 23-year-old’s rather extravagant proposal to his girlfriend and their ‘richie rich lifestyle’ of helicopter rides, designer handbags and a luxury car.

One photo showed Oyun-Erdene’s son and the his girlfriend flaunting a black Dior shoulder bag and several shopping bags while on their engagement holiday.

This has led to many in Mongolia asking how the 23-year-old accumulated such wealth — especially because Oyun-Erdene campaigned on being from a rural, not wealthy family.

As Amina, one of the protesters was quoted telling CNN, “With no visible sources of income, their display of luxury bags, private travel, and high-end living was a blatant slap in the face to the average Mongolian citizen.”

In fact, over 58,000 people in Mongolia signed a petition calling for the prime minister to step down. They also carried out massive protests in the capital Ulaanbaatar’s central Sükhbaatar Square demanding for Oyun-Erdene to step down.

Many also note that the public’s anger against Temuulen was exacerbated by Mongolia’s rising cost of living, soaring inflation and choking pollution in the capital. As Amina told CNN, “The cost of living in Mongolia has skyrocketed — many people are paying nearly half of their monthly income in taxes while barely making enough to cover food, rent, or utilities. Most are not living pay cheque to pay cheque anymore — they’re living loan to loan, debt to debt.”

Mongolia’s corruption pandemic

Corruption is a huge problem in the country of Mongolia. For years, it has struggled with graft and allegations of corrupt officials lining their pockets with public funds.

In fact, according to Transparency International, Mongolia has seen worsening corruption since Oyun-Erdene came into power. Last year, it was ranked 114th out of 180 countries in terms of government transparency.

And it seems that the lavish lifestyle of Oyun-Erdene’s son became a tipping point for Mongols. “I want a fair society where ordinary people have a voice, and where government officials are held accountable. Seeing so much inequality, injustice, and arrogance from those in power pushed me to speak up,” Ariunzaya Khajidmaa, 23, a resident of Ulaanbaatar, told CNN.

Enkhbadral Myagmar, director of the National Centre for Comprehensive Development, a civil society watchdog, told Asia Nikkei, “Public trust in government has been eroding for years. But today parliament has shown it can be a check on power, and however weakened, our democratic institutions do work for the people.”

Mongolia’s uncertain future

But while many hail Oyun-Erdene’s ouster, it’s not all smooth sailing. Many analysts note that next government has a full plate of challenges amid fears of high inflation and decreasing export revenues.

Analysts point out that the political instability will have a negative impact on the economy. Dr Batnasan B, professor at the Business School of the National University of Mongolia and Member of the Economic Development Board, told Associated Press: “The latest data clearly highlights the potential economic consequences of a collapse in Mongolia’s coalition government: a sharp economic downturn, runaway inflation, and a rise in unemployment.”

It’s left to be seen what the new government does and how far it helps.

With inputs from agencies