…Will things change?
Will the newly elected democratic president herald an area of positive change or will it take a turn for the worst?
This past week has been an eventful one for Mongolia; a new president has been elected. While this is a relatively uneventful occurrence in most countries, this Mongolian election might be the start of something bigger, the start of a new movement that has the potential to change the future of Mongolia.
On the surface, the big change is the party that sits in the presidential seat, it is no longer the MPRP (Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party) but rather the Democratic Party. The change in name by itself is a welcome development which is likely to put future foreign investors more at ease (investors get nervous when people’s revolutions are mentioned), but beyond the name of party, is there really a difference?
On paper, both parties have broadly similar agendas, both seeking change and promising improved lifestyles for all citizens that may vote for them, the more interesting and controversial parties to follow are the smaller ones such as the Civil Will party headed by Mrs Oyun, whom I expect, will grow over the years, to become considerable political powerhouses. Mongolia is currently eager for change and the Democrats make a more effective argument for change, their policies include better efforts at curbing the endemic levels of corruption, closing the increasing wealth gap and instituting stronger accountability for civil servants.
It is ironically rumoured that the new democratic president is more of a populist with anti-foreign views than the old (ex) communist president; he is certainly not a new player on the Mongolian political scene, having already being prime minister twice. It is hoped that now that he is in the top seat he will have the power to bring change for good.
Or will he? The president relies on the co-operation of parliament to push through his bills and enact his laws, the current parliament is a majority MPRP parliament. Will they support him in his actions or rather block his initiatives and even attempt to ridicule and sabotage his efforts towards change?
The new democratic president Elbegdorj has a strong legacy to follow, MPRP president Enkhbayar has travelled widely forging relationships with regional and world leader, has brought Mongolia to the international stage of globalization and has started to push Mongolia towards a road of economical development.
Will this change in power be a positive development in getting Mongolia out of its financial crisis? Only times will tell, but, analysts are already afraid that a change of leadership means a potential change of negotiating position, thus forcing long delays on already long awaited agreements.
This brings about the essential question, was a need for change, at such a crucial time in Mongolian history, a good move? This is a gamble for Mongolia that the international community hopes pays off. It is indeed likely that a period of positive change is indeed starting but change will probably be slow and gradual. Mr Elbegdorj will need to concentrate on paving the way for the real actors of change to follow his own legacy.
I wish him all the success and hope that he has the strength and determination to bring about what he has promised during his campaign. It is time that Mongolia commits itself to the road towards economical growth and social development.
I, for one, will be watching the actions of this new president with interest and so I think will the rest of Mongolia and maybe even the world.
