Mongolia goes to polls amid growing voter resentment

Voters in Mongolia are at the polls in an election expected to return the ruling Mongolian People’s Party (MPP), despite increasing frustration over corruption and the state of the economy.

The young democracy, sandwiched between authoritarian giants China and Russia, has seen a perceived failure by the main opposition to present a convincing alternative.

What we know about the vote

Some 2.2 million voters can cast their ballots in the huge and sparsely populated nation of 3.4 million, with the MPP — led by Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene — expected to win the vote.

While the center-right Democratic Party is deemed likely to win a significant share of votes, it has been accused of failing to provide a credible alternative to the status quo.

The center-right HUN party is expected to capitalize on this, enjoying significant support among the urban middle classes.

A new system sees 126 seats in an expanded parliament at stake, with 78 of those filled by direct vote and another 48 seats allocated via a party list.

Election day is a public holiday in Mongolia, and preliminary results are expected by early Saturday morning.

Why is Mongolia important?

Many Western observers consider Mongolia to be an important democratic buffer, being wedged between China and Russia.

The country became a democracy in 1990 and has tried to maintain a balanced relationship with its two larger neighbors, having a high economic dependence on both.

Almost all of Mongolia’s crude oil imports come from Russia while more than 90% of the country’s total exports go to China, mainly as coal.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited Mongolia earlier this year to strengthen Germany’s relationship with the nations.

Other countries such as the United Kingdom are also seeking to make inroads with the Asian nation, rich in valuable raw materials, such as rare earth metals.