MONGOLIAN ELECTIONS (No. 2)

Early day motion 1487, tabled 8 July 2004 by John Grogan (Labour). Signed by 19 members.

That this House notes the occasion of the fourth set of democratic elections to the Mongolian State Great Hural in June; congratulates the Mongolian people on the remarkably smooth transition to democracy in 1992 which has created an environment of vigorous and open political debate involving a multiplicity of political parties including the former communist Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party, which has now transformed itself into a valued member of the Socialist International; further notes previous successful transfers of power between political parties following democratic elections in Mongolia and that the country is in this sense far more advanced than its neighbours; recognises the closeness of the June 2004 election result in Mongolia which has left the two main parties provisionally tied on 36 seats each and the independents with three seats; acknowledges that the General Election Commission is considering a re-run of the election in two of these seats; recalls that when the United States Presidential election in 2000 reached a similar close conclusion the victor was finally decided by the courts; and urges all political parties in Mongolia to recognise the independence of the judicial system and act in accordance with the rule of law over the coming weeks.

Signatures by party: Labour 16, Liberal Democrat 2, Labour/Co-operative 1.