Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene faced public anger and mass protests after images of his son’s lavish lifestyle circulated on social media.
The PM’s decision to step down from his position follows a parliament session on Tuesday that concluded in a vote of no confidence. The vote took place amidst constant mass protests in Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia, that were triggered by the posting of pictures on social media of the PM’s son on an expensive holiday.
The pictures that went viral portrayed Oyun-Erdene’s 23-year-old son along with his fiancée enjoying an extravagant holiday. The latter donned a noticeable Dior bag as the pair carried several shopping bags, setting up public criticism regarding her lavish life. PThe pictures also revealed the PM’s son proposing to his girlfriend in an exclusive, expensive resort.
With criticism and questions rising about how the family was able to afford the luxury, the images also prompted the Mongolian anti-corruption agency to conduct an investigation. The protesters, mostly from younger communities, gathered in hundreds outside and demanded that the prime minister resign.
38 of the lawmakers voted against Oyun-Erdene, leading to his loss in the confidence vote on Tuesday. To remain in office as the Prime Minister, Oyun-Erdene required a minimum of 64 votes out of the 126 members. Prior to the confidence vote, Oyun-Erdene expressed his concerns about the potential negative impact on Mongolia’s inexperienced democracy.
Having rejected allegations of corruption, the Mongolian prime minister claimed the accusations to be a political tactic that aimed to “damage” his reputation via “smear campaigns”.
Transparency International, a global anti-corruption observer, ranks Mongolia 114th out of 180 countries this year. The 1990s saw Mongolia triumph over the single-party political system. The political unrest in the government leaves Mongolia in a turbulent state.
Having led the Mongolian People’s Party, which has been in a coalition government, since last year’s elections, Oyun-Erdene is set to remain as caretaker prime minister until a successor is elected within the next 30 days.
