According to the Act of Parliament, after Parliament receives a demand for Cabinet’s resignation, Parliament’s State Structure Standing Committee must review the demand within seven days, which is why the standing committee met on November 27 to review the demand.
As 62.5 percent of lawmakers in attendance supported the demand, the standing committee’s decision was submitted to Parliament for the final review.
If the majority of lawmakers vote for the standing committee’s decision, U.Khurelsukh’s Cabinet will be disbanded.
37 MPP lawmakers stand against Cabinet resignation
On November 27, some lawmakers held a press conference about ensuring political stability.
At the beginning of the press conference, lawmaker T.Ayursaikhan said, “Some 37 legislators have joined the initiative against the demand for Cabinet’s resignation, and they agreed to stand against U.Khurelsukh’s Cabinet dissolution.”
T.Ayursaikhan noted that U.Khurelsukh’s Cabinet launched many long-term megaprojects, for instance a project to renovate Ulaanbaatar’s central waste water treatment plant, construction project of an oil refinery, and a project to accelerate the Tavan Tolgoi coal mine megaproject have been launched during this Cabinet’s tenure.
He added that disbanding Cabinet that has accomplished much in a short period of time is a “ridiculous” idea.
Ch.Ulaan said, “I am representing Sukhbaatar Province in Parliament, so I listened to my voters’ opinions on Cabinet’s resignation, as most of them are against Cabinet’s resignation, I will stand for upholding U.Khurelsukh’s Cabinet.”
He added that the reasons to disband Cabinet are unrealistic and lawmakers who have signed the demand for Cabinet’s resignation are just seeking an excuse to form a new government for themselves.
L.Oyun-Erdene said, “We should talk about Speaker of Parliament M.Enkhbold’s dismissal, not about Cabinet’s resignation, and according to an independent survey, nearly 90 percent of the public wants M.Enkhbold to step down at his own request, but he has been ignoring lawmakers’ and the public’s demands to this day.”
The following lawmakers agreed to support U.Khurelsukh’s Cabinet.
1. T.Ayursaikhan
2. Kh.Badelkhan
3. S.Batbold
4. O.Batnasan
5. B.Battumur
6. Kh.Bolorchuluun
7. J.Ganbaatar
8. Ts.Garamjav
9. Ts.Davaasuren
10. D.Damba-Ochir
11. B.Javkhlan
12. G.Zandanshatar
13. Kh.Nyambaatar
14. Ts.Nyamdorj
15. M.Oyunchimeg
16. L.Oyun-Erdene
17. Sh.Radnaased
18. D.Sarangerel
19. Ya.Sodbaatar
20. G.Soltan
21. D.Sumiyabazar
22. A.Sukhbat
23. D.Togtokhsuren
24. Ch.Ulaan
25. N.Uchral
26. Ch.Khurelbaatar
27. D.Tsogtbaatar
28. N.Tserenbat
29. S.Chinzorig
30. L.Eldev-Ochir
31. B.Enkh-Amgalan
32. J.Enkhbayar
33. L.Enkhbold
34. N.Enkhbold
35. U.Enkhtuvshin
36. D.Lundeejantsan
37. B.Batzorig
MPs demanding Cabinet resignation: 4 lawmakers shouldn’t be allowed to vote
Some 27 legislators of the Mongolian People’s Party (MPP) who have signed a demand for Cabinet’s resignation held a news conference on November 27.
Lawmaker Ts.Munkh-Orgil emphasized that as six out of the MPP board’s 29 members should not be allowed to discuss the issues surrounding small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) loan misappropriation because their associates took out loans from the Fund to Develop SMEs.
The lawmakers believe that as General Secretary of MPP D.Amarbayasgalan, MPP Secretary Ts.Bat-Enkh, and lawmakers M.Oyunchimeg, G.Soltan, Ya.Sodbaatar and J.Enkhbayar engaged in the SME loan misappropriation, they should not be allowed to vote on an issue regarding this controversial matter.
Ts.Munkh-Orgil said, “According to the Law on Conflict of Interest, lawmakers M.Oyunchimeg, G.Soltan, Ya.Sodbaatar and J.Enkhbayar cannot vote for any issues surrounding SME loan misappropriation, so we will request Speaker of Parliament M.Enkhbold, Head of Security and Foreign Policy O.Sodbileg and Head of Parliament’s Special Review Committee S.Batbold to review whether the four lawmakers are able to vote on SME loan issues and to suspend their voting power during the discussion of Cabinet’s resignation if the four lawmakers have conflicts of interests at parliamentary review.”
The lawmakers believe that as Cabinet allegedly engaged in SME loan misappropriation, the four legislators should not be allowed to take part in a parliamentary session during the review of Cabinet’s dissolution.
Lawmaker J.Munkhbat noted that lawmakers who had conflicts of interest related to the agenda did not vote for a parliamentary review, for example, from 2012 to 2016, then-Speaker of Parliament Z.Enkhbold demanded D.Oyunkhorol and B.Bat-Erdene, who own private universities, to not vote for bills related to the laws on tertiary education and student loan, and as the two lawmakers accepted the speaker’s demand, they did not attend parliamentary session during the bills’ discussion.
J.Munkhbat noted that as today’s situation is similar to past events, the four lawmakers who took out SME loans should not attend parliamentary session when Parliament reviews the demand for Cabinet’s resignation.
MPP board votes against Cabinet dissolution
The Mongolian People’s Party (MPP) board met on November 27 to review the demand for Cabinet resignation. Some 19 out of the board’s 29 members participated in the November 27 meeting.
Ten members of the board demanded six of the 19 members to leave due to their engagement in the SME loan scandal, but the six members did not agree to the demand. The 10 members therefore did not attend the meeting.
As the 19 members voted against Cabinet’s dissolution, the MPP board decided not to demand Cabinet’s resignation.
The 10 members said that the November 27 board meeting is “illegal” as members with conflicts of interest participated in the meeting.
