Background
In 2005 Nambar Enkhbayar of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (known as the MPRP and the former communist party) had been elected president, having defeating the Motherland-Democracy Coalition (known as the MDC, a coalition between the larger Democratic Party, the Mongolian New Democratic Socialist Party, and the Civil Will Party). In the 2004 legislative election the MPRP lost 36 of its 72 seats in the State Great Khural (35 of them to the MDC). Following the election the MPRP formed a coalition government with the MDC. In 2005 and 2006 five Democratic Party members changed parties; four members crossed the floor to the MPRP, whilst the Deputy Chairman (Lamjavyn Gündalai) began a new party (the People's Party). Gündalai had blamed the Prime Minister for "slow economic growth". In early 2006 the MPRP was able to reform a government without the MDC coalition (with the four new members whom had crossed the floor). In 2007 a new chairman of the MPRP was elected who sought to "uproot corruption and bureaucracy".
Before the 2008 election Gündalai returned to the Democratic Party, and most members of the People's Party ran as Democrats. Key issues in the upcoming election were updating the large agriculture industry and the increase in the mining industry. The MPRP took the position of government controlled mineral resources, whilst the Democratic Party advocated private investment. Prior to the election more than 116,000 were listed twice (under different addresses), the General Election Committee affirmed it would be fixed prior to election day. The election saw a turnout of 74% and was stated to be "largely free and fair" by international observers. Early results saw the MPRP having taken 47 seats to the Democratic Party's 27 and the MPRP declared victory. The Democratic Party claimed the election had been fixed by the MPRP with some people voting twice.
Read more about this topic: 2008 Riot In Mongolia
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