Mongolia – China border checkpoints to close for three days during Lunar New Year www.montsame.mn

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ In accordance with the 2004 Governmental agreement between Mongolia and the People’s Republic of China on Border Checkpoints and its regulations, Mongolia – People’s Republic of China border checkpoints will not be operated from February 5 to 7.

China bans pigs, wild boars and products from Mongolia www.thepigsite.com

Reuters reports that the ban, effective Tuesday 29 January, came as China battles the world's fastest-spreading epidemic of the deadly disease on its own land, which has reached 25 of its provinces since early August and led to culling of more than 900,000 pigs.

Two women release debut EPs: Nominjin from Mongolia and SISSTA from San Diego www.blogtalkradio.com

International artist Nominjin started her music career at the age of 12 in her native Mongolia, going on to become Mongolia’s first and only pop teen idol. A solo artist who sings in 15 languages, Nominjin has performed and toured in more than 15 countries across the world in front of audiences of up to 70,000 people. She has been featured on John Lennon's tribute albumPeace, Love & Truth, and her hit single “Take Me To Your Heart” was included in the EMI album “Love: Best of Ten Years” alongside artists such as Christina Aguilera, Toni Braxton, Norah Jones, and Ricky Martin. She is bringing her soulful R&B to the US with her new EP, Free Soul, recorded at Radonai Records in Los Angeles, California.

G.Zandanshatar to lead Mongolian Parliament www.news.mn

Yesterday (February 1st) in Parliament, MP G.Zandanshatar appointed as Speaker of Parliament, taking 95.2% of the votes that were cast. G. Zandanshatar, who currently works as the Head of the Cabinet Secretariat, was nominated by the Mongolian Prime Minister U.Khurelsukh and yesterday received the endorsement of the Executive Commission of Mongolian People’s Party.

Former Justice Minister and his younger brother released on bail www.news.mn

Former Justice Minister D.Dorligjav and his younger brother D.Baatar were released on bail yesterday (February 1st).

Mongolia to send humanitarian aid to Syrian children www.news.mn

On Wednesday (January 30th), the Mongolia government decided to send 103 million Mongolian tugriks ($40,000) in humanitarian aid to war-ravaged Syria.

Week-long event for project to train 1000 engineers to take place in March www.montsame.mn

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/. The administrative committee meeting for the project, ‘Higher Engineering Education Development Project’, took place yesterday on January 31.

Copper price rally halted by Chinese factory surprise www.mining.com

January’s copper price rally came to a screeching halt on Friday after a key gauge showed Chinese factory output shrinking at the fastest pace in almost three years.

Mongolia's Crisis of Democracy Continues www.thediplomat.com

On January 29, a majority of members of Mongolia’s parliamentary body, the State Great Khural, voted to oust the unicameral body’s speaker, Miyegombyn Enkhbold. The ousting of the speaker, who was formerly the chairman of the majority Mongolian People’s Party, comes after months of political turmoil. In the parliament’s special session, 43 out of 65 members who attended voted to throw out Enkhbold, who was embroiled in multiple corruption scandals.

The ousting is the most recent chapter in a slow-moving political crisis causing Mongolians have continuously lose faith in their government due to rampant corruption and inefficacy, particularly in addressing an annual air pollution-induced public health crisis in Ulaanbaatar.

In spite of widespread calls for Enkhbold’s resignation from both major political parties, the speaker had refused to step down for over a month in the face of major demonstrations in front of Mongolia’s parliament building. Since early December, more than half of Mongolian MPs boycotted plenary sessions in protest, which stalled out all legislative action for 40 days. The extraordinary measure to oust the speaker, who had formerly served as Mongolian prime minister and mayor of Ulaanbaatar, comes after a newly minted law approved on January 18, when parliament members granted themselves the new power. The original proposal for the bill was put forth just after the new year by President Kh. Battulga, who is from the opposition Democratic Party.

In his parting address, Enkhbold called it, “a grey day in Mongolian parliament.” He said, “I hope this law isn’t used to change the leadership in the future.”

Mongolia’s government has been in crisis due to a series of corruption scandals implicating leaders in both major political parties, whose platforms are virtually indistinguishable. Even after a new speaker is chosen, likely in early February after the Lunar New Year, the inter-governmental and inter-party conflict will continue to test Mongolia’s fledgling democracy.

More than just holding up the passing of budgets and the development of legislative priorities for 2019, the gridlock has threatened the girders of Mongolia’s political system. Critics have argued that the president proposing the bill sets a dangerous precedent for others to propose timely legislation to their benefit. Notably, President Battulga has also ordered for an inquiry into former President Elbegdorj in relation to the former’s negotiation of major mining deals while president.

Since late November, demonstrators have targeted Enkhbold due to his connection to a number of high-profile corruption scandals, which are still ongoing. Most notably, Enkhbold has been implicated in the long-unresolved 2016 60 billion MNT case, in which a group of politicians were accused of conspiring to sell government offices in return for raising 60 billion tugrik (roughly $22 million). The speaker has not been named directly but has been allegedly associated with last year’s Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Development Fund (SME) case. In the SME scandal, a variety of high-profile public officials granted relatives or friends money intended for small business owners. The funds were originally intended to help offset Mongolia’s heavily mining-dependent economy and stimulate the local-level economy.

Opponents, even in his own party, allege that Enkhbold runs a secretive group of leaders from across both major political parties known as MANAN, or “fog” in Mongolian, which has become synonymous with a shadowy oligarchy. In Mongolian, the word MANAN also combines the acronym of the two major political parties, the Democratic Party and the Mongolian People’s party.

The series of protests surrounding the SME scandal began in November, shortly after Prime Minister Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh (from Enkhbold’s own party) narrowly escaped a vote of no confidence. The prime minister deflected criticism and accused Enkhbold of corruption.

The scandals have been widely covered in local media, and attracted outrage from average Mongolians.

Namuun, 19, said that “corruption is making everyone’s life hard, even someone young like me. It affects my parents; it affects all the people around me.”

The latest major political protest took place January 10 at Sukhbaatar Square and targeted Enkhbold. Like the previous protest on December 27, there were tens of thousands of demonstrators.

At the protest, 56-year-old Ganhuyag said, “I think this year will be year of protest, because if we don’t stop MANAN, our country will not develop.” He expounded, “every TV, every media company has someone from parliament or someone powerful working behind [it]. That is why people should not believe in news but believe in people’s voice.”

Ganuhuyag’s comments are emblematic of a growing public distrust in Mongolia’s governing class, and increasing disillusionment with the country’s media, both of which score low in global transparency ratings.

Occupiers in traditional gers, or yurts, register protest signatures against speaker Enkhbold at Sukhbaatar Square on January 13. The banner says “Protest against the tyranny of MANAN!” Photo by Peter Bittner.

Since the demonstration, dozens of “gers,” or yurts have occupied Sukhbaatar Square, the central government plaza, with at least 10 Mongolians promising to go on hunger strike.

One demonstrator, Batzorig, said, “I am one of 300 people who protested in 1989 in the Democratic Revolution. Look at what the people we trusted since that time have done! This is unbearable.

“I want this destroyed by its roots.”

Peter Bittner is a freelance journalist based in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Tuguldur Chulunbaatar and Anand Daliad contributed reporting to this story.

IMF Continues Discussions on the Sixth Review of Mongolia’s Extended Fund Facility www.imf.org

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff team led by Mr. Geoff Gottlieb visited Ulaanbaatar during January 28–30, 2019 to continue discussions on the sixth review of the three-year Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangement approved on May 24, 2017, in an amount equivalent to SDR314.5054 million, or about US$434.3 million [1] (see Press Release No. 17/193 ).