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2021 Mongolian presidential election

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2021 Mongolian presidential election

← 2017 9 June 2021 2027 →
 
Nominee Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh Dangaasürengiin Enkhbat Sodnomzunduin Erdene
Party MPP RPEC Democratic
Popular vote 823,326 246,968 72,832
Percentage 72.02% 21.60% 6.37%

Results by province

President before election

Khaltmaagiin Battulga
Democratic

Elected President

Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh
MPP

Presidential elections were held in Mongolia on 9 June 2021.[1] The result was a victory for former prime minister Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh of the Mongolian People's Party, who received 72% of the valid vote.[2] The elections were considered free and fair by OSCE.[3] However, there was controversy as several opposition candidates were disqualified and former president Khaltmaagiin Battulga was barred from running for a second term.[4][5][6]

Background

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In April 2021 President Khaltmaagiin Battulga issued an emergency directive to disband the MPP "in order to safeguard the sovereignty and democracy of the country" after the MPP passed amendments to the constitution.[7][8] The constitutional amendments, which took effect in May 2020, limited one's presidency to one term, making Battulga ineligible to re-run in the 2021 presidential election.[9][10]

Electoral system

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Following 2019 constitutional amendments, the president is elected using the two-round system for a six-year term, and may only serve one term. Previously, the term was of four years, renewable once.[11][12] Political parties with representation in the State Great Khural are allowed to nominate candidates. The elected president must resign from any political party before their inauguration. Presidents can be removed through a two-third majority vote by the State Great Khural if found guilty of abusing their powers or violating the presidential oath.

Articles 97.9 and 99.2 of the electoral law determines how votes are counted, with blank ballots taken into account when determining whether a candidate has crossed the 50% threshold. If no candidate receives a majority of all votes cast in the second round (including blank votes), article 8.6.2 of the electoral law requires fresh elections to be held.[13][14]

Candidates

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The General Elections Commission registered three candidates:[15]

  1. Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh (Mongolian People's Party)
  2. Sodnomzunduin Erdene (Democratic Party)
  3. Dangaasürengiin Enkhbat (National Labour Party)

Oyungerel Tsedevdamba of the Democratic Party had been considered a potential candidate[16] but she lost her bid in the primary to Erdene.

Opinion polls

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Former Prime Minister Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh led the opinion polls according to an MEC survey in April 2021.[17]

Results

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Polls opened at 07:00 in 2,087 polling stations across the country for the 2.1 million registered voters, with special measures in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Mongolia. Voting ended at 22:00. Khürelsükh and Erdene voted in Ulaanbaatar while Enkhbat tested positive for COVID-19 and voted in hospital.[18]

CandidatePartyVotes%
Ukhnaagiin KhürelsükhMongolian People's Party823,32672.02
Dangaasürengiin EnkhbatRight Person Electorate Coalition246,96821.60
Sodnomzunduin ErdeneDemocratic Party72,8326.37
Total1,143,126100.00
Valid votes1,143,12694.08
Invalid/blank votes71,9375.92
Total votes1,215,063100.00
Registered voters/turnout2,049,37959.29
Source: GEC, IFES

References

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  1. ^ Presidential election scheduled for June 9, 2021 Montsame, 21 January 2021
  2. ^ "Former PM wins Mongolia's Covid-hit presidential election". France 24. 10 June 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  3. ^ "Mongolia, Presidential Election, 9 June 2021: Final Report". Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  4. ^ Bayarlkhagva, Munkhnaran. "Mongolia edges towards autocracy". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  5. ^ "After Wild Election Season, What's Next for Mongolia?". thediplomat.com. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  6. ^ Lkhaajav, Bolor (30 June 2021). "Mongolia's Ruling Party Just Consolidated Power Even More". World Politics Review. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  7. ^ Baljmaa.T (20 April 2021). "President presents ordinance on disbanding Mongolian People's Party". Montsame.
  8. ^ Battulga Khaltmaa (19 April 2021). "Монгол Улсын Ерөнхийлөгч Х.Баттулга Монгол ардын намыг тараах тухай захирамж гаргаснаа танилцууллаа" (in Mongolian). YouTube.
  9. ^ "Welcome to Battulga's rule in 2020s". Mongolia Weekly. 5 January 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  10. ^ "Marco Rubio, Patrick Leahy Urge State Department to Do More to Promote Democracy in Mongolia". Florida Daily. 6 May 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  11. ^ "Mongolia votes in first ever presidential runoff". Al Jazeera. 7 July 2017. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  12. ^ Volodya, Bolormaa (9 January 2020). "The Amendment On Constitution Of Mongolia". Mondaq. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  13. ^ "STATEMENT OF PRELIMINARY FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS" (PDF). osce.org. 7 July 2017. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  14. ^ "Electoral Law Mongolia 2016". aceproject.org. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  15. ^ А. Намуун (8 May 2021). "Ерөнхийлөгчийн сонгуульд нэр дэвшигчдийн үнэмлэхийг тавдугаар сарын 24-нд олгож, нийтэд мэдээлнэ". ikon.mn. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  16. ^ "Is Mongolia Ready for a Female President?". thediplomat.com. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  17. ^ "Chart of the Week - Political Ratings". Mongolia Weekly. 18 March 2021. Archived from the original on 19 March 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  18. ^ "Mongolian presidential candidates cast votes in presidential election". Xinhua News Agency. 9 June 2021.