Day #82: Mongolian elections

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The Mongolian presidential election is being held on the 26th June, and the signs are everywhere, including a rally I saw in Sukhbaatar Square today for the incumbent. I have witnessed lots of discussion about the election, including between our driver and guide, and it is heartening to see the level of interest shown by everyone, particularly young people (maybe for Mongolians living in a democracy is still new enough to be exciting).

There are three candidates, one of whom is the first woman to stand for presidency in Mongolia, although she has the lowest profile of the three. The current president, Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, was one of the leaders of the democratic revolution in Mongolia back in the 1990s and has already been president twice in the past - a lot of his popularity seems to rest on his commitment to democracy, anti-corruption and being the force being making Mongolia a nuclear-weapon free country (though of course I heard some Mongolians claim that all politicians are corrupt, just like everywhere else in the world). His more high-profile opponent is a former wrestling champion, and in one family's ger I witnessed him on television having some kind of play-wrestle as part of his promotional campaign. He is standing for what is now the People's Party, which used to be the Revolutionary Party. The candidates have to appeal to both city dwellers and nomads, and this manifests in the promotional posters, some of which show the candidates in business-like suits in front of the flag, like campaign posters throughout the world, but others that show them in traditional dress with livestock or atop horses, which is more unusual to me. In many of the gers we stayed at, when I asked our guide what the family was talking about, the answer would be "who to vote for in the election", and I am actually interested to see who wins.

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