But Julian Dierkes, a Mongolia expert at Germany’s University of Mannheim, said he “(didn’t) expect any successor to adopt substantially different policies” from Oyun-Erdene, including on corruption.
His ouster “may mean the resurgence of factional politics in his party” after years of comparative stability at the top of Mongolian politics, Dierkes told AFP.
SECRET BALLOT
Oyun-Erdene has denied the corruption allegations, and in an address to parliament before the vote, blamed “major, visible and hidden interests” for waging an “organised campaign” to bring down the government.
He had also warned of political instability and economic chaos if forced out of power.
But it was not enough as only 44 lawmakers voted to retain confidence in him, with 38 against.
That did not reach the 64-vote threshold required from the 126-seat parliament, prompting Oyun-Erdene to stand down.
The move pushed the country’s fractious political scene into further uncertainty.
Mongolia had been ruled by a three-way coalition government since elections last year resulted in a significantly reduced majority for Oyun-Erdene’s Mongolian People’s Party (MPP).
But the MPP evicted the second-largest member, the Democratic Party (DP), from the coalition last month after some younger DP lawmakers backed calls for Oyun-Erdene’s resignation.
DP lawmakers walked out of the parliamentary chamber during the confidence ballot.
“TIME FOR CHANGE”
Further demonstrations were expected in central Ulaanbaatar on Tuesday, according to AFP reporters in the city.
Since Oyun-Erdene took power in 2021, Mongolia’s ranking in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index has dropped.
Concerns over the economy and rising living costs have also stoked the unrest.
Some counter-protesters – overwhelmingly older than their pro-opposition counterparts – have also turned out to support Oyun-Erdene in recent weeks.
Speaking on Monday, protest organiser Ulamsaikhan Otgon, 24, said the demonstrations “have showcased throughout that young people are very sensitive to unfairness” in Mongolian society.
Yroolt, a 30-year-old content creator who declined to share his surname for privacy reasons, said young people “want a different life, a different society”.
“We all know injustice is deeply embedded in our society but it’s time for change,” he told AFP.
