Parliamentary Elections in Mongolia

Parliamentary Elections in Mongolia

link to page 2

INSIGHTi

Parliamentary Elections in Mongolia
July 9, 2024
Mongolia, an important U.S. partner in the Indo-Pacific region, held parliamentary elections on June 28.
Sharing borders with Russia and the People’s Republic of China (PRC, or China), Mongolia stands out
among its neighbors as a multiparty parliamentary democracy. Congress has expressed strong support for
Mongolian democracy and the U.S.-Mongolia strategic partnership. Mongolia is one of 21 countries
worldwide that participate in the House Democracy Partnership. The 2024 parliamentary elections were
the first held following constitutional changes that expanded the size of the unicameral parliament, known
as the State Great Khural, and introduced a mixed electoral system. The Mongolian People’s Party (MPP)
maintained its majority, winning 68 seats. The opposition Democratic Party (DP) won 42 seats. The new
parliament also includes three smaller parties: the HUN party won 8 seats, while the National Coalition
and the Civil Will-Green Party, neither of which had deputies in the previous parliament, won 4 seats each
(see Figure 1). Voter turnout was about 70%, compared to 73.6% in the 2020 parliamentary elections.
The MPP, which had held a supermajority since 2016, plans to form a coalition government with the DP
and the HUN party.
Political Background
Following a peaceful revolution in 1990, Mongolia embarked on a democratic transition that set it apart
from other formerly communist countries in the region. Elections in Mongolia are generally considered
free and fair, and Mongolia is the only formerly communist country in Asia classified as “Free” by the
U.S. nongovernmental organization Freedom House. The U.S. State Department describes Mongolia’s
achievements in terms of democratization and market reforms as “considerable,” but notes widespread
corruption as an enduring challenge.
Although Mongolia has a multiparty system, political power since the country’s democratization has
generally alternated between two major parties, the MPP and the DP, which have established a track
record of peaceful transitions of power. In 2016, the MPP won 65 of 76 seats in parliament, while the
then-ruling DP won 9 seats. The MPP maintained its commanding majority in the June 2020
parliamentary elections, winning 62 seats. The DP increased its share of seats to 11. This was the first
time since Mongolia’s transition to democracy that the same party maintained a parliamentary majority in
two consecutive elections.
Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
IN12390
CRS INSIGHT
Prepared for Members and
Committees of Congress

Congressional Research Service
2
Constitutional reforms passed by the MPP-dominated parliament in 2019 reduced the scope of
presidential powers and limited the president to one six-year term (previously, presidents were eligible to
serve two four-year terms). Critics accused the MPP of attempting to manipulate the 2021 presidential
election by preventing the DP incumbent, President Khaltmaagiin Battulga, from running for reelection.
Although Battulga challenged his exclusion from the race, Mongolia’s Constitutional Court upheld the
term limit. The election delivered a decisive victory for MPP candidate Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, who had
served as prime minister until he resigned from that post in January 2021 amid protests over his
government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Khurelsukh’s victory represented a consolidation of
MPP control over the government in light of the party’s supermajority in parliament.
Constitutional Reform and Changes to Parliament
Constitutional changes passed in May 2023 increased the size of the State Great Khural from 76 members
to 126 and introduced a mixed electoral system, with 78 members elected directly in a majoritarian vote
and 48 elected from nation-wide party lists via proportional representation. The expanded size of the
legislature decreases the average number of constituents per member of parliament. The Organization for
Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) notes that Mongolia’s electoral districts vary widely in
terms of electorate size, “contrary to international good practice related to equality of the vote.” The
mixed electoral system may serve to boost political pluralism by making it easier for smaller parties to
enter parliament. The constitutional changes also include a gender quota, requiring that women be 30% of
each party’s candidates, set to increase to 40% in the 2028 elections.
Electoral Campaign
The 2024 elections took place amid widespread public frustration with corruption and concerns about the
economy. Following 2022 protests over corruption in the mining sector, the MPP government introduced
a new National Anti-Corruption Strategy, which includes enhanced whistleblower protections and seeks
to increase transparency, and declared 2023 as the “Year of Fighting Corruption.”
The OSCE determined that the elections were well-administered, but noted that “competitiveness was
negatively affected by the lack of a level playing field,” arguing that the short duration of the official 17-
day campaign period favors incumbents and well-established parties. Nineteen political parties and two
coalitions fielded a total of 1,336 candidates.
Figure 1. Electoral Results
Majoritarian
Proportional
Total
MPP
50
18
68
DP
26
16
42
HUN
2
6
8
National Coalition
4
4
Civil Will-Green
4
4
Party

Source: Graphic created by CRS

Congressional Research Service
3

Outlook
While the MPP’s supermajority has been reduced to a majority, one expert assesses that the outcome of
the elections “implies government and policy continuity” and the election “has (re)solidified the
dominance of MPP and DP in a two-party system, though proportional representation has led to a
diversity of parties in parliament.” The outcome of the elections is unlikely to influence Mongolia’s
foreign policy posture, which emphasizes balancing relations with Russia, the PRC, and “Third
Neighbors” such as the United States.
The new parliament includes 32 women, about a quarter of all deputies, which is a record for women’s
representation in the Mongolian legislature. The majority of female deputies were elected through the
party list system, while eight were elected directly (out of 316 female candidates); each party in the new
parliament has at least two seats held by women.
Voter turnout fell among voters under 55, perhaps reflecting frustration within the electorate about the
perceived entrenchment of corruption. Corruption, particularly in the mining sector, is likely to remain a
concern for the Mongolian public. At the same time, the Mongolian government will likely continue to
seek increased foreign investment in mining and other sectors of the economy, which has historically been
a challenge given the country’s difficult investment climate. The United States and Mongolia are
expanding cooperation on critical minerals, and some Members of Congress have expressed interest in
helping Mongolia diversify its economy and decrease its economic dependence on China and Russia.

Author Information

Maria A. Blackwood

Analyst in Asian Policy

Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff
to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of
Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of
information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role.
CRS Reports, as a work of the United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United
States. Any CRS Report may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However,
as a CRS Report may include copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the
permission of the copyright holder if you wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.

IN12390 · VERSION 1 · NEW