Mongolian PM resigns after losing confidence vote

Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene resigned on Tuesday after failing to secure enough support in a confidence vote, a parliamentary statement said.

It comes after weeks of public protests against allegations of corruption.

Oyun-Erdene received just 44 votes in the 126-seat parliament, well below the 64 needed to remain in office.

Following the declaration of the results, Oyun-Erdene said: "It was an honor to serve my country and people in times of difficulties, including pandemics, wars, and tariffs."

He will remain a caretaker role until a successor is appointed within 30 days.

Political crisis brews

Prior to the vote, Oyun-Erdene has warned that the confidence motion could cause instability and posed a threat to democracy in the country.

"If governance becomes unstable, the economic situation deteriorates, and political parties cannot come to consensus. It could lead the public to lose faith in parliamentary rule and potentially put our democratic parliamentary system at risk of collapse," he said.

Formerly communist Mongolia adopted democracy after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Last month, Oyun-Erdene's Mongolian People's Party (MPP) expelled the Democratic Party (DP) from the ruling coalition after some of its younger lawmakers backed calls for the prime minister's resignation.

Protests against corruption

The prime minister's resignation follows days of youth-led protests in capital Ulaanbaatar calling for his ouster over inequality, corruption, and rising living costs, with citizens demanding reform and accountability.

Reports of lavish spending by Oyun-Erdene's son fueled the protesters.

The protesters have said the country's mineral riches have benefited businesses and the wealthy, while many Mongolians still live in poverty.

In a statement to AFP last month, the prime minister's office said it "vehemently" denied the allegations, labelling them as a "smear."

Mongolia's drop in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index since Oyun-Erdene came to power in 2021 also did not help his cause.