Mongolian presidential election, 2013

Electoral system

The election was held using the two-round system; if no candidate had received a majority of the vote in the first round, a second round would have been held. The second round was to be scheduled on 10 July 2013 if necessary. Only parties with seats in the State Great Khural were allowed to nominate candidates.

The elections were the first in which Mongolians living abroad were allowed to vote, with an estimated 39,800 Mongolian citizens living outside Mongolia at the time of the election. Other reforms had been made since the 2012 parliamentary elections, including limits on money spent by candidates on campaigning and advertising. As in the 2012 elections, the presidential election used electronic voting machines from Dominion Voting Systems.

Campaign laws

Changes to campaign laws were made in 2011 which restricted the amount of television and poster advertising a candidate could use. It also increased penalties for violators. The intent was to have the candidates judged on the merit of their platform rather than the budget of their campaign. This change increased the role of social networking such as Facebook and Twitter in candidates campaigns.

Candidates

Three parties nominated candidates for the presidency.

Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj

Incumbent president Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj was renominated by Democratic Party, and was also endorsed by Civil Will-Green Party and Mongolian National Democratic Party, both of which have seats in both the parliament and the government cabinet. Republican Party and Motherland Party expressed their full support for Elbegdorj's candidacy also.

Elbegdorj was Prime Minister of Mongolia for two terms prior to his election as president in 2009. The incumbent president was "heavily backed by the urban middle class" of Ulaanbaatar. Elbegdorj was one of the leaders of the democratic revolution in 1990 that saw the fall of communism in Mongolia.

Badmaanyambuugiin Bat-Erdene

The opposition Mongolian People's Party nominated parliament member Badmaanyambuugiin Bat-Erdene. Bat-Erdene is a former wrestling champion and was the first wrestler to be announced as a presidential candidate in Mongolia. Bat-Erdene had a more conservative backing within Ulan Bator. Mongolian People's Party was the former communist party in power prior to the democratic revolution in 1990.

Natsagiin Udval

The Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party was initially unsure if it was going to field a candidate in the election, or support another party's candidate. It eventually nominated Natsagiin Udval to run. Udval is the Minister of Health and the Secretary-General of Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party. She was also the first woman to run for the presidency. Udval supports former president Nambaryn Enkhbayar who is in prison on corruption charges and who is chairman of Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party.

Results

Incumbent President Elbegdorj won the election with 50.23% of total votes, with Baterdene Badmaanyambuu and Natsagiin Udval getting 41.97% and 6.5% respectively.

Following the announcement Mongolian Prime Minister Norovyn Altankhuyag pledged work with President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj to fight corruption in Mongolia. A political analyst said having the parliament and presidency represented by a single party would be good for foreign investment, as it shows a "politically stable" environment.

Reaction

U.S. President Barack Obama issued a statement on presidential election in Mongolia on 27 June 2013, the same day of the result of 2013 Mongolian presidential election was announced. In his statement, President Obama noted: "President Elbegdorj has been an important leader in advancing democracy and freedom in his country and a key partner for the United States in Asia and globally...Through its impressive democratic achievements and its progress on economic liberalization, Mongolia serves as a significant example of positive reform and transformation for peoples around the world."

Vuk Jeremić, President of the United Nations General Assembly for the 67th session expressed a satisfaction with the fair and successful election in his congratulations to Elbegdorj. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon congratulated for successful Presidential election in Mongolia in his congratulatory message to Elbegdorj for his re-election as President of Mongolia.

In his congratulatory note to Elbegdorj on his victory, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso highlighted "The European Commission considers that the presidential election has become another vital step of the Mongolian people to establish a democratic society that respects the rule of law and human rights." German Chancellor Angela Merkel noted “The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe sent its group to Mongolia for the first time to observe the Presidential election, and it was an expression of strengthening of democracy and transparency in Mongolia,” in her congratulatory message to Elbegdorj for his re-election as President of Mongolia.