{"id":8487,"date":"2023-01-09T16:52:36","date_gmt":"2023-01-10T00:52:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/mongolia\/?p=8487"},"modified":"2024-07-12T02:52:56","modified_gmt":"2024-07-12T09:52:56","slug":"oyun-erdene-cabinet-version-01-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/mongolia\/2023\/oyun-erdene-cabinet-version-01-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Oyun-Erdene Cabinet, Version 01\/2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

By Marissa J. Smith<\/em><\/p>\r\n

A cabinet reshuffle has opened the new year of 2023, in the wake of a December marked by large demonstrations that climaxed with an attempted storming of the Government Building. A major focus of these demonstrations was the revelation that as much as $12 billion of revenue from coal exports to China<\/a>, the cornerstone of the Mongolian economy under the Khurelsukh\/Oyun-Erdene government, had evaporated. The demonstrators also called attention to much wider problems in Mongolia, where inflation is in the double-digits and living conditions are in decline.<\/p>\r\n

In an interview published by AFP<\/a>, the Minister of Justice, Nyambaatar, acknowledged that “the majority believe that the reason behind the economic downturn and crisis is the corruption,” but also doubled down on government measures as a solution: “We have to improve and increase the measures that we’re taking to combat corruption, which is the issue that raises frustration among the people of Mongolia.”<\/p>\r\n

The recent cabinet reshuffle indicates that these will be familiar government measures, executed by familiar government members, and that there are significant risks that demonstrator’s concerns are not being fully addressed.<\/p>\r\n

More Young Deputy Ministers… But More MPP<\/h2>\r\n

All four new Ministers are double-deel wearers, i.e. current Members of Parliament. Except for Kh. Bulgantuya, they have been ministers in the past, and two have long been near the center of the Mongolian politics. The new Deputy Prime Minister, Ch. Khurelbaatar is already Minister of Finance and I have not seen any news that he will resign from that position. Ts. Davaasuren was previously Minister of Power in Khurelsukh’s cabinets<\/a> (2017-2021) and worked in the Ministries of Finance, Economy, and Education throughout the 2000s (i.e. the tenure of N. Enkhbayar — according to Alan Sanders, he was initially expelled from the MPP when the MPRP and MPP split in 2012). Both Khurelbaatar and Davaasuren are noted by Alan Sanders as participants in the MPP’s rehabilitation of Tsedenbal in 2015.<\/p>\r\n

In addition to the Cabinet reshuffle, a number of new Deputy Cabinet Ministers were appointed, and this was showcased in an official government news release<\/a>. In contrast to the new Ministers (except for Kh. Bulgantuya, b. 1981), these are young people (zaluu<\/em>) (except for Tsendsuren, b. 1965<\/a>).<\/p>\r\n

That the positions to young people are more minor ones, and the general sense of enlarging the MPP controlled government (Bulgantuya’s post, dealing with the timely issue of border ports, is new; similar to the post on traffic congestion created in August<\/a>), calls to mind ongoing efforts on the part of the MPP-controlled government to increase membership of Parliament. There is widespread concern that this will lead to further control of the MPP over the Mongolian state and society.<\/p>\r\n

\r\n
\r\n

The Mongolian People’s Party controls parliament, and the presidency too. If current motions to increase the size of parliament succeed, I suspect that % of MPP membership will further increase.#Mongolia<\/a> is effectively a single-party state.

(image from https:\/\/t.co\/sraoa0fZzY<\/a>) https:\/\/t.co\/Qu4KLoxIf7<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/ZrwELhVUqV<\/a><\/p>\r\n\u2014 Marissa J. Smith (@marissa_j_smith) December 12, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote>\r\n