Mongolia gets new prime minister who pledged to address economic demands of protesters

Zandanshatar Gombojav was the parliament talker from 2020 to 2024 and was named caput of the president’s bureau aft helium mislaid his spot successful an predetermination past year. File | Photo Credit: AP

The caller Prime Minister of Mongolia has pledged to code the economical demands of protesters aft their regular rallies led to the autumn of his predecessor.

Lawmakers approved erstwhile parliament talker Zandanshatar Gombojav arsenic Prime Minister by an overwhelming bulk successful a ballot precocious Thursday night.

His predetermination appeared to people the extremity of respective weeks of governmental uncertainty successful a still-young ideology of 3.4 cardinal radical that is sandwiched betwixt overmuch larger China and Russia. The caller person faces aggregate challenges including precocious inflation, a looming authorities fund shortage and fears of powerfulness shortages this winter.

Speaking up of the ballot successful parliament, Mr. Zandanshatar said this year’s authorities spending needs to beryllium reduced by astir $640 cardinal to debar a important gross shortfall.

“Revision of the fund has go inevitable,” the erstwhile banker said, saying helium would taxable a revised fund to parliament adjacent week.

Mr. Zandanshatar, 45, studied economics astatine assemblage successful Russia and was vice manager of 1 of the largest commercialized banks successful Mongolia.

He was parliament talker from 2020 to 2024 and was named caput of the president’s bureau aft helium mislaid his spot successful an predetermination past year. From 2014-16, helium was a visiting student astatine Stanford University successful California.

His predecessor, Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai, resigned 10 days agone aft losing a ballot of assurance successful parliament.

The protests against Oyun-Erdene’s regularisation were sparked by reports of lavish spending by his son. Many Mongolians consciousness the nation’s mineral wealthiness has benefited politicians and their concern friends alternatively than the wide population. The poorness complaint remains precocious successful the sparsely populated country.

Mr. Zandanshatar said helium would guarantee that economical maturation is inclusive and reached each Mongolians. He promised to motorboat a taxation betterment to trim the load connected the mediate people and summation taxes connected luxury depletion and those with ultra-high incomes.

He won predetermination by a ballot of 108 to 9 successful the 126-member parliament. The different 9 members were absent.

Published - June 13, 2025 04:06 p.m. IST