Untitled Document

Around 5.30 p.m. of Friday on July 16, 2004 a Court decision was issued over the dispute about the election result of 59 th constituency of the Mongolian Parliamentary election. Recently formed Administrative Court of the Capital city has solved its second ever case stating that re-voting would be held at the 18 th point of 59 th Constituency and the losing part of the dispute could argue this decision to the Supreme Court within 10 days.

Few hours later, the Election Committee of 59 th Constituency has announced a re-voting to start just 8.5 hours after the Court decision has been issued. Therefore, no time was given for Sam.Otgonbayar, a candidate from the Motherland Democratic Coalition, who won in the July 27 th general election and who stated he would appeal to the Supreme Court. Members of the Election Committee of 59 th Constituency, who all are members of the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party (MPRP), had worked all night between 9p.m. – 6a.m. in order to distribute Voters IDs despite it was not regular office hours. According to complaints received by the Motherland Democratic Coalition, the Committee Members discriminated the voters by not giving Voter IDs to the supporters of the Coalition and not allowing some to get the IDs during the Saturday re-vote.

At 7a.m. of July 18, 2004 activists from the Motherland Democratic Coalition blocked the entrance of 18 th Voting Point of the Constituency protesting the re-voting occurred without giving opportunity S.Otgonbayar to appeal to the Supreme Court.

S.Otgonbayar’s opponent Mr.J. Gurragchaa is the Minister of Defense in the outgoing MPRP government. As the result of the re-voting appeared in favor of J.Gurragchaa , who won in Saturday’s rush and unfair race held under tight police control, high officials of the ex-communist party began making loud statements that “all wrong votes” were to be re-voted in all necessary Constituencies, and thanking the voters of 59 th constituency for their “right” decisions.

“I have voted for thirty years, but I have never seen police watching our voting. There is police at every corner of our voting point and even around our yards. What is happening, I wonder!” said an old man as he leaves a crowded door of the Voting Point.