Mongolia ex-president barred from upcoming election for corruption charges News
Mongolia ex-president barred from upcoming election for corruption charges
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[JURIST] The Mongolian Election Commission on Thursday voted to ban former Mongolian president Nambar Enkhbayar from the upcoming parliamentary election due to allegations of corruption and abuse of power during his former presidency. Enkhbayar’s corruption trial began [JURIST report] on Monday. He was charged with abusing his power during his time as president until 2009. Enkhbayar told reporters that he believed his trial was politically motivated [BBC report] to affect his chances in the June 28 election. Enkhbayar’s political party, the People’s Revolutionary party, has said they will appeal the decision of the Election Commission.

Enkhbayar lost the presidential election [JURIST report] in 2009 when Mongolia Democratic Party [party website, in Mongolian] candidate Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj [Taipei Times profile] defeated him in the country’s general election. Educated in the US, Elbegborj ran on a platform of fighting corruption and redistributing profits from the country’s mining operations to Mongolian residents. Enkhbayar’s Communist Party had originally refuted claims that Elbegdorj had won the election, but later accepted the results [BBC report]. In 2008, Enkhbayar declared a state of emergency [JURIST report] following protests against the results of parliamentary elections in the country. At least five people were killed and more than 700 people were detained as a result of the protests.