After
a preliminary discussion Parliament on Thursday decided to send back both draft
laws on electoral reforms to the Standing Committee on the State Structure for
further consideration. The first draft, prepared by a bipartisan working group set
up by Parliament itself, received 68 percent support for further discussion, while
61 percent of the MPs supported the other draft, prepared by 12 MPs headed by Defense
Minister L.Bold.

The
first draft proposes adoption of a clear proportional election system with just
one constituency in the country. Voters will mark their support for both parties
and individual candidates. The final result will be decided by the number of
votes a candidate and his party receive.

The
12 MPs’ draft, however, is a mix of the countrywide proportional and the
constituency-wise majority systems. It calls for more than one national constituency,
but fewer than the present 76.

Both
drafts make sure ballots are cast not just for parties, but for candidates also,
because the Constitution explicitly gives voters the right to choose their
representatives directly. No radical reform is possible before that clause is
amended, but both present drafts hope to considerably improve the current
election process.

Not
all MPs were impressed. S.Bayartsogt said both drafts seem to have “included almost
all the worst aspects of the proportional system, and voters will absolutely
hate what is proposed”. D.Lundeejantsan said in 2008, Parliament could sit only
after the July 1 incidents. The first pledge of the joint government was to
change the election law and the first decree of the Speaker was on revision of
election laws. Parties supported this then but now, as the next election draws nearer,
“it becomes more difficult to accept changes”. He wanted some reforms without
further delay, even though neither of the drafts is entirely satisfactory. He
was supported by O.Enkhtuvshin.