Mongolia’s president vetoes effort to unseat PM

Mongolia’s president has vetoed a parliamentary resolution that would have caused the resource-rich nation to experience a political crisis.

Three days after parliament approved removing prime minister Gombojav Zandanshatar, who had sparked outrage for changing the nation’s mineral policy, on Monday, President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh granted the veto.

Zandanshatar, a fellow member of the ruling Mongolian People’s Party (MPP), was removed from parliament’s attempt because there was no quorum at the session, according to Khurelsukh’s office.

In a statement cited by the state-run Montsame news agency, the president claimed that “these procedural flaws constitute a violation of the Constitution and undermine the principle of the rule of law.”

A meeting to discuss the president’s veto has been scheduled for Mongolia’s constitutional court.

A deeper conflict abounds within the MPP due to Zandanshatar’s contention over his fate. Amarbayasgalan Dashzegve, Zandanshatar’s main rival, parliamentary speaker Amarbayasgalan Dashzegve, who resigned last week amid corruption allegations, won the party leadership election in September.

Mongolia, which is rich in natural resources but is plagued by perceived corruption and a weak economy, is now experiencing a wave of popular unrest.

Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene, Zandanshatar’s predecessor, was forced out of the country in June after he lost a no-confidence vote in Mongolia’s parliament as a result of this turmoil.

Zandanshatar’s removal from the legislative body, including his own party, was criticized by lawmakers for a new mineral taxation policy that would require exporters to pay royalties based on domestic stock prices rather than on international benchmarks used since 2021, which opponents warned would harm the budget.

Additionally, he received criticism for appointing a justice minister without a notification from the legislature, which MPs deemed illegal.