Parliament Challenged

By Julian Dierkes

This fall has brought a series of political tussles over ambassadorships that have hinted at one of the great rising challenges in Mongolia’s governance, corruption seemingly becoming a systemic block rather than simply a surtax upon transactions involving the state.

Some of these tussles seem to have been of a partisan nature with Pres. Battulga rejecting ambassadorial appointments finalized before his win of the presidency.

The greater challenge arose from the nomination of B Khurts, former head of the General Intelligence Agency and Deputy Chief of the Independent Authority Against Corruption and also former hindrance to the visit of German Chancellor Merkel in 2011.

This nomination in November led to a series of exchanges in parliament that were shocking in the extent to which Khurts felt at liberty to threaten parliamentarians. These threats took the form of a stand-off with Khurts implying knowledge of misdeeds perpetrated by various politicians who in turn responded with hints at Khurts’ crimes. None of these allegations seem to lead to serious investigations (with the possible exception of the documents collected by the parliamentary committee around Lu Bold against Khurts) suggesting the paralyzing nature of these stand-offs where mutual accusations reinforce the popular sense that all politicians are corrupt to some extent, but that they are not held accountable for these actions.

Since the Khurts process was not reported on in media outside of Mongolia but does seem to present a very real challenge to parliamentary democracy, we’ve offered the timeline below to document developments in the past two months.

Timeline

October 26, 2017 

Khurts, Chief of the General Intelligence Agency, made a press conference – (allegations about (1) Nyamdorj’s Chinese spy case; (2) his interest group – Altankhuyag (ex prime minister) and Dorligjav (ex Minister of Justice) – all from Uvs province; (3) Nyamdorj’s past influence on bidding/procurement for the Erdenet factory; (4) Nyamdorj’s continued strong interests in Zorig’s assassination case) 

http://ikon.mn/n/14y1  

Nyamdorj, MP, Minister of Justice and Internal Affairs, – denied all allegation, Khurts fears of the disclosure of number of wrongdoings – (1) the trial of the Zorig’s case and (2) Erdenet privatization 

http://ikon.mn/n/14y4

November 1, 2017 

The Government cabinet appointed D. Gerel as a Chief of the General Intelligence Agency. He was a chief in 2012-2013, but fired by Prime Minister Altankhuyag, who appointed a DP-affiliated non-professional to the post.  

The Cabinet submitted Khurts’ nomination as an Ambassador to South Korea to the President.  

November 6, 2017

MP Batzandan opposed Khurts’ nomination and called for a open hearing on four major complaints – as he received when he was the Complaints’ Standing Committee of the parliament. He started to the petition to collect 19 MPs’ endorsement.   http://eagle.mn/r/36460

Batzandan proposed the open hearing on 4 points: (1) the detention and prosecution of Enkhbat in connection with the Zorig’s case, (2) the trial of the Zorig’s assassination case, (3) Khurts’ involvement of the privatization of the 49 percent share of the Erdenet; and (4) complaints received by the Complaints’ Standing Committee about the abuse of power.  

A few days later, 21 MPs submitted their support for holding an open hearing on Khurts’ misuse of authority to the Speaker and asked to delay his nomination hearing until the public hearing occurs.  

http://www.wikimon.mn/content/78493.shtml

November 8, 2017

Presidential office submitted Khurts’ nomination to the parliament.  

https://www.news.mn/?id=266952 

November 15, 2017 

During the ambassadorial nomination hearings at the Standing Committee on Security and Foreign Policy, Khurts made several allegations about MP Lu Bold.  Lu Bold strongly opposed the nomination and pledged to reveal the truth.  

http://eagle.mn/r/36901

November 20, 2017 

Khurts participated in the Non-Censored Talk Show – to explain (or to defend) himself 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhDlH-wFBb8

November 27, 2017 

Nyamdorj participated in the Non-Censored Talk Show – to respond Khurts’ allegation. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhDlH-wFBb8

December 15, 2017 

The Speaker organized a closed session, with a request of MP Baasankhuu, on Khurts’ nomination and endorsed his nomination (69 percent).  

https://www.news.mn/?id=266952

At the exact same time, J. Batzandan, Lu Bold organized the public hearing in the government house.  MPs A. Sukhbat, M. Oyunchimeg, L. Oyun-Erdene and Nyamdorj joined.  Nyamdorj also expressed his concern of the conflict of interests (as a Minister of Justice and Internal Affairs) and didn’t sign the minute.   

http://www.parliament.mn/n/w3go

December 19, 2017 

MPs submitted the minute the public hearing to Speaker and President – to reconsider their decisions of nominating Khurts for ambassadorial posting and to conduct further investigations based on complaints (public).  

December 22, 2017

President Battulga postponed the presidential endorsement for Khurts’ ambassadorial posting to South Korea until all allegations and issues to be cleared while asking the government to reconsider its nominees for ambassadorial posting in Japan, US, and Canada.

About Julian Dierkes

Julian Dierkes is a sociologist by training (PhD Princeton Univ) and a Mongolist by choice and passion since around 2005. He teaches in the Master of Public Policy and Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. He toots @jdierkes@sciences.social.
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