Mongolian president declares state of emergency
Mongolian President Nambariin Enkhbayar late today declared a four-day state of emergency amid violent protests in the capital over alleged rigged elections, according to national television.
“From 11:30 pm (2100 IST) today there will be a four-day state of emergency,” the announcement said. It added that there would be a 10:00 pm curfew and anyone on the streets after that time without documentation would be arrested.
No public gatherings were allowed and any such gatherings would be broken up, according to the TV announcement, which listed ten proclamations, including a ban on media except for Mongolian national TV and state media organisations.
The announcement also said state buildings must be protected and more security was needed.
Thousands of people were involved in the protests in Ulan Bator today, voicing outrage over what they claimed were rigged elections, forcing police to fire gunshots, witnesses said.
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Emergency situation update
According to the sources, police has arrested 710 people during last night’s violence. The police is now conducting queries from these people since most of these people may have been just observers and not involved in protesting activities. Thus police is releasing some of arrested people. Police administration is holding meeting to discuss about the situations arisen and measures to be taken.
At 1.40 am the gun fires started near Central Hospital #1 building. Hospital staff has stated that they have seen police with special protected clothes firing at people. As a result a young man of 20-25 ages has been delivered to the emergency founded and covered with blood. Although prompt emergency service provided he’s heart beat stopped. The next victim delivered to the emergency has no blood pulse observed as emergency service providers claimed.
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Mongolia declares state of emergency
By Irja Halasz
ULAN BATOR (Reuters) - Mongolian President Nambariin Enkhbayar has declared a state of emergency for four days, after Mongolians alleging election fraud clashed with police and set fire to the headquarters of the ruling party, state television said on Wednesday.
The chaos threatens to further delay deals that could unlock vast reserves of coal, uranium and other resources beneath the country’s vast steppes and deserts, and are seen as key to lifting the isolated Central Asian state out of poverty.
“The president has declared a state of emergency according to the constitution … from 11:30 p.m. on July 1 for a period of four days,” television said.
The state of emergency means protests are banned and authorises security forces to break up protests using force. Central areas have been put under curfew from 10 p.m. to 8 p.m. and alcohol sales are banned over the period.
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Mongolia under state of emergency
Mongolia has declared a four-day state of emergency after thousands of people staged a violent protest against elections they say were rigged by the ruling party.
Shots were heard as troops moved into the capital Ulaan Baator late on Tuesday, in an attempt to to bring the unrest under control as a curfew came into force.
Police had earlier fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowds after rescue workers were pelted with stones.
The headquarters of the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party (MPRP) was set on fire and opposition supporters pushed into the election commission offices.
Some rioters looted paintings from an art gallery and televisions from government offices. Others vandalised cars parked on downtown streets.
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MPRP building under fire
Protesters have clashed with police in the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator amid protests over last weekend’s general election.
People have set fire on ruling party MPRP’s building and fire fighting service quenched it.
Police in riot gear were sent to the offices of the election commission and the ruling party, after demonstrators outside threw stones.
Preliminary results from Sunday’s poll give a clear victory to the ruling Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party.
But the opposition Democrats have alleged fraud.
Violence follows Mongolia election
The Associated Press reports that,
ULAN BATOR, Mongolia (AP) — Protesters alleging voting fraud clashed with Mongolian police Tuesday as election results indicated the ruling party is on course to win the majority it needs to pass a disputed law on sharing the country’s natural wealth.
The protesters clashed with police outside the General Election Commission offices and the headquarters of the ruling Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party.
Additional police in riot gear were sent to the party’s headquarters, where about 200 protesters threw stones at the police and the building.
“The demonstrators are acting like hooligans and violating social order,” said police spokesman Sainbayar, who like some Mongolians goes by one name.
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Opposition alleges fraud in Mongolia vote
Reuters UK reports that,
ULAN BATOR, July 1 (Reuters) - Hundreds of protesters marched in Mongolia’s capital on Tuesday alleging fraud in a weekend election, and the leader of the opposition Democratic Party said he would not accept the projected outcome.
Mongolia’s election committee has yet to give the final result of Sunday’s vote, but the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party (MPRP) is believed to have won about 43 seats in the 76-seat parliament, or Great Hural, giving it a clear majority.
“We do not accept these results,” Democratic Party leader Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj told a news conference. “No one needs these kinds of results, and they will be corrected in accordance with law.”
International observers say that overall the election, in a country of vast grasslands and deserts that is a rare example of democracy in Central Asia, was free and fair.
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Ex-communists ‘win’ Mongolia poll
Aljazeera.net writes that,
Mongolia’s former communists have claimed the majority of seats in the nation’s parliament, leaving them poised to end four years of coalition government with their political rivals.
The Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party (MPRP) announced on Monday that it had won 44 seats out of the 76 in the Grand Khural, or parliament.
To gain a majority in the Great Khural a party needs to win at least 39 seats.
Sanjagiin Bayar, the MPRP leader and Mongolia’s prime minister, said: “We can’t give the complete election results yet, but the election did go well for us”.
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Dead heat in Mongolia vote count
CBC News of Canada reports that,
Close result could delay large mining project led by Canadians
People in Mongolia faced uncertainty Monday after a weekend general election gave neither of the country’s main political parties a clear lead and raised concern about delays to efforts by Canadian and other international mining companies to tap the country’s vast mineral wealth.
Partial results from Sunday’s voting put the incumbent Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party [MPRP] and the opposition Democratic Party in a dead heat, local media reported.
But vote counting in the capital, Ulan Bator, was proceeding slowly and opposition supporters said the city is their main power base and they were confident of a strong showing.
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Mongolia election boost for mining
Financial Times writes that,
By Mure Dickie in Beijing
Mongolia’s ruling party yesterday claimed victory in parliamentary elections expected to open the way for long-awaited agreement on how to handle billions of dollars of foreign investment in the country’s mining sector.
The Mongolian People’s Revolutionary party said it had won 38 seats from rural constituencies, enough to secure a clear majority in the 76-member unicameral parliament, the State Great Hural.
With the MPRP expected to claim more seats from constituencies in the capital Ulan Bator, where votes were still being counted, the result appeared set to markedly strengthen the ruling party’s position.
Mongolia’s last parliamentary election in 2004 gave only the narrowest of parliamentary majorities to the MPRP, a former communist party that has governed the country for all but four of the last 87 years.
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