Mongolian presidential election, 2005
Encyclopedia
The 2005 Mongolian presidential election was held in Mongolia
on 22 May 2005. The election was won by Nambariin Enkhbayar of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party
(MPRP), who took over half of the vote.
the chairman of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party, Natsagiin Bagabandi was elected president
. He was re-elected in 2001 but term limit
s meant he could not stand again in 2005. After the 2004 parliamentary elections
the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party and the Democratic Party
were forced to form a coalition government after a close result.
and current speaker
of the parliament of Mongolia Nambariin Enkhbayar. Enkhbayar had been chairman of the MPRP since 1997 and was regarded as the clear favourite in the election. He said that he would increase foreign investment and continue to liberalise the economy
to try and address poverty in Mongolia.
His main rival was Mendsaikhany Enkhsaikhan of the Democratic party. He got support from anti-communists and called for lower taxes for business and subsidies for poorer families. However he was disadvantaged by divisions within the Democratic party.
The other two candidates were Bazarsad Jargalsaikhan
of the Mongolian Republican Party and Badarch Erdenebat of the Motherland Party
. Jargalsaikhan was one of richest people in Mongolia and said that he could put his business skills to use as President. Erdenebat called for a referendum to be held to increase the powers of the President.
s across Mongolia. If no candidate secured over half of the votes in the first round of the election then a run-off
would be held on 5 June between the top two candidates. The campaign for the first round officially began on the 7 April 2005.
A few days before the election 3 of the 4 candidates called on the General Election Committee to resign alleging that the election was not being run cleanly. The outgoing President said that the committee should do everything possible to ensure the election was fair. Before the election there were protests in the capital Ulan Bator calling for a more open electoral system and protesting against alleged corruption. However international election monitors
reported that they did not find any irregularities in the election.
Voting began at 7am and voter turnout
was high as usual in Mongolia. Many voters turned out in traditional Mongolian costumes, some on horseback, while elsewhere poll workers took ballot box
es to nomadic Mongols who were unable to get to polling stations.
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
on 22 May 2005. The election was won by Nambariin Enkhbayar of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party
Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party
The Mongolian People's Party formerly the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party is an ex-communist political party in Mongolia. The party is abbreviated MPP in English and ' in Mongolian...
(MPRP), who took over half of the vote.
Background
In the 1997 presidential electionMongolian presidential election, 1997
Presidential elections were held in Mongolia on 18 May 1997. The result was a victory for Natsagiin Bagabandi, who won 62.5% of the vote. Voter turnout was 85.1%.-Results:...
the chairman of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party, Natsagiin Bagabandi was elected president
President of Mongolia
The President of Mongolia is the head of state of Mongolia. The Constitution of Mongolia implements a parliamentary system, so while much of the President's role is ceremonial, he or she does wield significant political power.-Election:...
. He was re-elected in 2001 but term limit
Term limit
A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method to curb the potential for monopoly, where a leader effectively becomes "president for...
s meant he could not stand again in 2005. After the 2004 parliamentary elections
Mongolian legislative election, 2004
Parliamentary elections for the State Great Khural in Mongolia took place on 27 June and 17 July 2004. The Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party emerged as the largest party, but failed to win a parliamentary majority.-Results:...
the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party and the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Mongolia)
The Democratic Party is a conservative liberal and libertarian political party in Mongolia. Its primary goals are the continued transformation of Mongolia into an open and democratic society.- History :...
were forced to form a coalition government after a close result.
Candidates
Four candidates stood in the 2005 presidential election. The Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party candidate was the former Prime MinisterPrime Minister of Mongolia
The Prime Minister of Mongolia is the highest member of the Mongolian government's executive arm, and heads the Mongolian cabinet. The Prime Minister is appointed by Parliament, and can be removed by a vote of no confidence.-Powers:...
and current speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of the parliament of Mongolia Nambariin Enkhbayar. Enkhbayar had been chairman of the MPRP since 1997 and was regarded as the clear favourite in the election. He said that he would increase foreign investment and continue to liberalise the economy
Economy of Mongolia
Economic activity in Mongolia has traditionally been based on agriculture and the breeding of livestock. Mongolia also has extensive mineral deposits: copper, coal, molybdenum, tin, tungsten, and gold account for a large part of industrial production...
to try and address poverty in Mongolia.
His main rival was Mendsaikhany Enkhsaikhan of the Democratic party. He got support from anti-communists and called for lower taxes for business and subsidies for poorer families. However he was disadvantaged by divisions within the Democratic party.
The other two candidates were Bazarsad Jargalsaikhan
Bazarsad Jargalsaikhan
Bazarsad Jargalsaihan was born in 1959. He is the founder and owner of the Buyan Holding company. In society he is generally called as Buyangiin Jagaa. He was elected as a member of parliament in 2004, served until 2008...
of the Mongolian Republican Party and Badarch Erdenebat of the Motherland Party
Motherland Party (Mongolia)
The Motherland Party , sometimes also referred to as Mongolian Democratic New Socialist Party is a political party in Mongolia. It was founded by the owner of the Erel group, B. Erdenebat. There is a considerable overlap between employees of the Erel group and members of the Motherland party, and...
. Jargalsaikhan was one of richest people in Mongolia and said that he could put his business skills to use as President. Erdenebat called for a referendum to be held to increase the powers of the President.
Campaign
About a million of Mongolia's population were eligible to vote in the election with 3,800 polling stationPolling station
A polling place or polling station is where voters cast their ballots in elections.Since elections generally take place over a one- or two-day span on a periodic basis, often annual or longer, polling places are often located in facilities used for other purposes, such as schools, churches, sports...
s across Mongolia. If no candidate secured over half of the votes in the first round of the election then a run-off
Two-round system
The two-round system is a voting system used to elect a single winner where the voter casts a single vote for their chosen candidate...
would be held on 5 June between the top two candidates. The campaign for the first round officially began on the 7 April 2005.
A few days before the election 3 of the 4 candidates called on the General Election Committee to resign alleging that the election was not being run cleanly. The outgoing President said that the committee should do everything possible to ensure the election was fair. Before the election there were protests in the capital Ulan Bator calling for a more open electoral system and protesting against alleged corruption. However international election monitors
Election monitoring
Election monitoring is the observation of an election by one or more independent parties, typically from another country or a non-governmental organization , primarily to assess the conduct of an election process on the basis of national legislation and international standards. There are national...
reported that they did not find any irregularities in the election.
Voting began at 7am and voter turnout
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
was high as usual in Mongolia. Many voters turned out in traditional Mongolian costumes, some on horseback, while elsewhere poll workers took ballot box
Ballot box
A ballot box is a temporarily sealed container, usually square box though sometimes a tamper resistant bag, with a narrow slot in the top sufficient to accept a ballot paper in an election but which prevents anyone from accessing the votes cast until the close of the voting period...
es to nomadic Mongols who were unable to get to polling stations.