On May 4, President of Mongolia Kh.Battulga met with members of the State Emergency Commission (SEC) and the General Election Commission (GEC) to discuss timely issues related with the COVID-19 pandemic and the upcoming election.

The president noted that Mongolians living abroad should be repatriated as their livelihoods have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The members of the SEC said that if it is possible to bring back citizens from countries that do not have direct flights, it will be possible to implement the proposal issued by the president, to distribute workload using local facilities and personnel that can operate international flights.

During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on the proposal of the president to develop a mortgage policy that is commensurate with the salaries of civil servants.

GEC members mentioned that the GEC is preparing to hold the regular parliamentary election. However, clear rules and regulations on how to organize the election without large gatherings have not been issued to date.

President Kh.Battulga proposed to draft detailed rules to be followed during the election, clarify responsibilities associated with existing risks.

He also stressed that it is crucial to consider if it is appropriate to conduct the election by spending a large amount of money at this time when the people’s income is shrinking and businesses face financial difficulties due to the global pandemic.

In addition, the president highlighted that everyone should avoid inefficient spending in this time of crisis.