Mongolia's third president, N.Enkhbayar had announced his intention to stand as the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party's nominee in June's presidential election.

However, things are extremely difficult, because  N.Enkhbayar  had been arrested and sentenced to serving a prison sentence for corruption in 2012 but was granted a pardon from being incarcerated by current President Ts.Elbegdorj and his "technical sentence" reduced to 2.5 years. Despite the apparent 'amnesty', the door remains firmly closed to the former politician.

Mr N.Enkhbayar's lawyer Sh.Dulamjav submitted an application to the Sukhbaatar District Court which would enable the former president to run. The court, however, denied the request.

The eligibility of N.Enkhbayar to participate in the upcoming presidential election has been a hotly debated topic. N.Enkhbayar was not allowed to run in the parliamentary elections of 2016 because, as noted, he had been convicted of corruption. The former president was released through a presidential pardon in the same year, largely as a result of his weak health.

N.Enkhbayar won the 2005 presidential election and became the Mongolian President. In the 2009 Mongolian presidential election, incumbent President Enkhbayar was defeated by Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj of the Democratic Party.