Mongolian parliament removes prime minister over scandal involving son’s lavish spending

The vote followed weeks of protests sparked by reports of lavish spending by the prime minister’s son. Some called for the prime minister to step down.

Before the vote, Oyun-Erdene warned that the vote could lead to instability and shake Mongolia’s fledgling democracy.

“If governance becomes unstable, the economic situation deteriorates, and political parties cannot come to consensus. It could lead the public to lose faith in parliamentary rule and potentially put our democratic parliamentary system at risk of collapse,” he said.

He defended his integrity but acknowledged a mistake: “dedicating too much time to major projects while paying insufficient attention to social and internal political matters.”

Oyun-Erdene had held the post for four years and survived previous calls to step down.

Last year, parliament was enlarged from 76 seats to 126 following electoral reforms. It resulted in a coalition government.

Landlocked between Russia and China, Mongolia has struggled to become more democratic after its party-state era. A communist state during the Cold War, it has been transforming into a democracy since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Protesters have said the country’s mineral riches have benefited business interests and the wealthy, while many Mongolians still live in poverty.