Mongolian Crisis: the other side

The UB Post:

Last Friday, 39 of 76 parliament members voted to accept the resignations of MPRP party ministers, leading to the end of the current government. Most of the Democratic Party members abstained from voting. In addition to the 29 MPRP votes, the Democratic Party: M.Enkhsaikhan, J.Narantsatsralt, J.Batkhuyag, and M.Sonompil, the Republican Party: B.Jargalsaikhan, the People's Party's L.Gundalai, and the Motherland Party's S.Otgonbayar, B.Erdenebat, Ts.Jargal and B.Tserenbaljir voted yes. (emphasis mine, gv)

I have to confess I didn't notice before, but when I read this passage in the UB post yesterday it suddenly dawned on me that actually all presidential candidates of last years election - except the one who won, of course - vote in favor of the new cabinet (indicated in bold). Also the one that was going to "crush" corruption. All parties previously united in the Motherland Democratic Coalition - except of course the always straightforward Civil Will Party - have people voting for the new government. Even more surprisingly MP Gundalai (indicated in bold, italic) joined them as well. For those who have been around for sometimes, they might remember this rebellious member of parliament always provoking with mediagenic protests against the MPRP.

It seems Elbegdorj was not stabbed in the back by the MPRP, but by his own democrats. It reads there were only 29 MPRP votes (out of 38), which means they never were able to pull it through without the 10 votes from the democrats, and of course the MPRP would have never started the whole thing if they would not have been sure they would pull it through.

In the end it is what Yan pointed out in a comment to the previous post:

I personally think a major stimulus behind the recent developments was self-interest - another common feature of Mongolian history.

Yan also made me aware of the comment of Chris Kaplonski

While ... the move by MAHN (MPRP -gv) goes against the spirit of democracy... we shouldn't see this as a return to communism or anything, as I've seen one or two of the more hysterical commentators suggest. (link mine - gv)

technorati: mongolia

Does Mongolian government crisis help mining?

The site Mineweb belevies that Mongolia's Government Woes may Help Mining.
A scary thought, but it might at least partly be a mine company in Mongolia being desperate to spread some good news.

Through Mongolian Artist

openDemocracy article

The openDemocracy website is a platform for news and views on democracy from all over the world.

They asked me to write an article on the current political developments:

Mongolia’s democratic puzzle

Anniversary of Danzanravjaa

Today marks the 150th anniversary the death of Danzanravjaa – the “Fifth Wrathful Noble Saint of the Gobi”, one of the greatest literary figures and educators in Mongolian history. Born in 1803, Danzanravjaa produced a remarkable output of songs, poems and teachings, in addition to founding Mongolia’s first museum, theatre, and mixed school.
The anniversary is to be commemorated on an international scale, with a program of special events to be held throughout the year. Danzanravjaa is one of 42 historical figures whose anniversaries will be celebrated in 2006-2007 by UNESCO.

Among the actions to commemorate this anniversary:

• The Arts Council of Mongolia is implementing a one-year project to improve facilities for the conservation of the unique and historically important cultural artifacts of the Danzanravjaa Museum in Sainshand, and to ensure appropriate maintenance of the museum's collection of objects and books through museum staff training (http://www.artscouncil.mn/marketing_program4.html). This one year project was awarded by the US Ambassadors Cultural Heritage grants fund in competition with countries from all over Asia and started its implementation in July 2005.
• Restoration of Khamar Monastery in the East Gobi, former seat of Danzanravjaa, is to continue throughout 2006, with the completion of the “Shambhala Land” complex of 108 stupas and the improvement of the monastery’s circumambulation path.
• Ten young monks have been sent to India with the sponsorship of Miserior (www.tilopa.net) and the US-based Kunzang Palyul Chöling (www.tara.org). It is hoped that these young monks will return to help re-establish Khamar Monastery as a leading centre of Mongolian Buddhism.
• INMongolia Consulting Ltd. is to release a CD of songs by Danzanravjaa, performed by leading Mongolian artists. The release will coincide with events held to commemorate the anniversary of Danzanravjaa in summer 2006. Danzanravjaa’s songs continue to enjoy considerable popularity throughout Mongolia today, with “Ulemjiin Chanar” and other works taking an important place in the folk repertoire (www.inmongolia.com).
  
  Further biographical information can be found at www.danzanravjaa.org.
  
  
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  technorati: mongolia

The Merchant Marine of Mongolia

I was amazed to see in the CIA - The World Factbook
that the merchant marine of Mongolia consists of 65 ships with (another?) 38 ships foreign owned. The Khuvsgul lake must be cramped!

For those who are not aware a few other quotes from the same factbook:

• Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
• Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
• Waterways:580 km
  note: only waterway in operation is Lake Hovsgol (135 km); Selenge River (270 km) and Orhon River (175 km) are navigable but carry little traffic; lakes and rivers freeze in winter, are open from May to September (2004)

As a reference the tiny country of Netherlands (40 times smaller than Mongolia) has 5,046 km waterways.

Mongolia Govertment Crisis update

What happened today?

1. Enkhbold was put forward by the MPRP as new prime minister
   
2. groups of protesters for democracy, against the former communist party, protested by singing a song from the communist revolution in 1921, while one of the major groups announced it will now hold protests until Tsagaan Sar (January 29th)
   
3. MPRP announced Mongolia will keep its forces in Iraq and Afghanistan
   
4. I saw the vodka drinking olifants, their eyes looked a little red, but they did their tricks alright
   
5. There is an angry proffesor in New York

UPDATE:
Interesting posts in blogworld

• Yan has the translation of an olloo survey on the current political situation among 600 people.
• Chris thinks "The foreign accounts of the situation tend to be much more dramatic and negative "
  
• again from Yan the following thought:

the whole mess still looks more like a power struggle than a struggle between democracy vs. authoritarianism (as implied by the democrats) or competent managers vs. incompetent dreamers (as implied by the MPRP), or corruption vs. honesty (as implied by both).

UPDATE 2:

The Vodka Drinking Elephants performing
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technorati: mongolia

Mongolian party calls for 'national unity' coalition

The Financial Times reports: "The Mongolian People's Revolutionary party has called for a 'government of national unity' following parliament's dismissal of the Democratic party-led coalition of Tsakhia Elbegdorj, the prime minister."

A strange move, first forcefully end a government that consists of almost all parties, and then reunite them all. Why?

Protests have been announced by civil movements and the police has gathered in big numbers around the government palace. The protesters will demand new elections for both parliament and president.

Update:
More on the MPRP internal struggles and the demands of of the protesters