 Mongolia will hold its fifth
democratic election on June 29, marking 18 years since ending its communist
government in 1990.
Twelve political parties will
vie for 76 seats in the parliament, representing 26 constituencies.
In the June election, rival
parties will represent a range of issues from environmentalism to perpetuating
the rule of established party blocks. Of note, some of the parties seeking
seats were only created within the past year.
The Mongolian People’s Revolutionary
Party controlled the government in 1992, and 2000 while the Democratic
Party was victorious in the 1996 parliamentary elections.
The current session of parliament
will not adjourn until July 1, which has caused general concern among
members of parliament who must conduct parliamentary business while
also finding time to campaign for elections. Indeed, all but 14 of the
current 76 members of parliament are running for reelection.
This year, gender quotas have
become an important campaign issue with some 50 women running for parliament.
At the same time, much discussion has been heard about quotas for participation
by women in the two main parties that range from only 25 to 30 percent.
Also, more than 16 candidates
are running as independents. By law, a candidate defining himself as
an independent must have no party affiliation or party assistance throughout
the campaign.
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