Mongolian parliament removes PM and speaker as political turmoil deepens

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BEIJING (Reuters) -Mongolian lawmakers voted to remove the prime minister and parliament speaker on Friday, throwing the resource-rich nation into renewed political turmoil.

Zandanshatar Gombojav stepped down as prime minister after losing the confidence vote just four months after taking office, the official Montsame news agency reported.

One reason cited by lawmakers was that Zandanshatar, a former foreign minister and parliamentary speaker, had recently tried to circumvent parliament and appoint a new minister of justice and home affairs without consulting them.

The 55-year-old had been confirmed as the country’s 32nd prime minister in June after his predecessor, L. Oyun-Erdene, quit, also after losing parliamentary backing, due to corruption allegations and street protests.

Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, Mongolia’s president since 2021, is expected to nominate the next prime minister, who would require the approval of the State Great Khural, or parliament.

Mongolian politics has been rocked by waves of volatility in recent years amid public anger over corruption and a weak domestic economy.

The dismissal of two prime ministers within months will also cast new uncertainty over policy continuity and erode investor sentiment for the resource-rich country.

Zandanshatar’s dismissal came a day after parliamentary speaker Amarbayasgalan Dashzegve offered to resign. Lawmakers voted to accept his resignation on Friday.

The ruling Mongolian People’s Party, of which Zandanshatar and Amarbayasgalan are both members, had called for a probe into Amarbayasgalan.

Earlier this month, the World Bank slashed its forecast for Mongolia’s 2025 economic growth to 5.9% from its April estimate of 6.3%, citing lower coal prices, global trade uncertainty, as well as elevated inflation and stagnant wages.

Mongolia’s gross domestic product grew 4.9% in 2024.

(Reporting by Ryan Woo; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Lincoln Feast)