Op-Ed: constitutional amendments in Mongolia -- real reform or political opportunism?

Mongolia is gearing up for a second constitutional amendment in the space of just three years. The previous 2019 amendment strengthened the powers of the prime minister, capped the number of MPs who can hold ministerial positions to four, and limited the maximum term of the presidency from two four-year terms to one six-year term, in order to end “development-hampering” political instability. The key elements of the current amendment proposal are the enlargement of the legislature, re-introduction of a proportional component to the parliamentary elections, introduction of indirect elections for the president, increasing the cap of minister-MPs and simultaneous reform of the political parties, which should go in parallel to the amendments. However, the clumsy rationale provided for the amendments, citing external geopolitical factors and the need to avoid becoming “Kazakhstan or Ukraine,” as well as the track record of the ruling Mongolian People’s Party, suggest that the amendments may simply be a veiled opportunism for a previously unfinished job – to get rid of the direct presidential elections.
Read the full article here: The Diplomat