Mongolian Prime Minister resigns after losing parliament confidence vote

Mongolia’s Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene resigned on Tuesday after losing a confidence vote in parliament, according to an official statement.

The vote came after days of anti-corruption protests in the capital, Ulaanbaatar. Protesters accused the country’s elite of benefiting from a coal mining boom while ordinary people struggle.

Oyun-Erdene, who became prime minister in 2021, will stay on in a caretaker role until a new leader is chosen within 30 days.

Public anger has grown over allegations that members of his family live far beyond their means as civil servants. His office has denied the claims, calling them a “smear”.

Mongolia, a landlocked country in northern Asia, has long battled corruption. Since Oyun-Erdene took office, the country has fallen in Transparency International’s global corruption rankings.

Economic worries and rising living costs have added to the unrest. While many young people joined protests calling for his resignation, some older citizens also rallied in his support.

Mongolia is currently led by a three-party coalition after the ruling Mongolian People’s Party (MPP) lost seats in last year’s election.

Mongolia has been ruled by a three-way coalition government since elections last year resulted in a significantly reduced majority for Oyun-Erdene’s Mongolian People’s Party (MPP).

But the MPP evicted the second-largest group, the Democratic Party (DP), from the coalition agreement last month after some younger DP lawmakers backed calls for Oyun-Erdene’s resignation.

The move pushed the country’s political scene into further uncertainty.

Some 82 lawmakers participated in the secret ballot, with 44 voting for retaining confidence in Oyun-Erdene, and 38 against.

The ballot did not reach the 64-vote threshold required from the 126-seat parliament, prompting Oyun-Erdene to stand down.