Protesters reach agreement with MPs’ group, call off hunger strike

The hunger strike by some protesters was called off on Thursday after a series of talks between leaders of the movement and an MPs’ group set up by Parliament to settle the issue. The protest is being led by the Civil Movement Demanding Fulfillment of Pre-Election Promises, the Independence Alliance, My Mongolian Land Movement, the National Soyombo Movement, the Reform Movement, and the National Khas Movement. The parties signed a memorandum incorporating the terms of agreement reached at the talks.

The hunger strike was to put pressure on Parliament to hold a referendum to ascertain people’s opinion on the protesters’ demands. One of their leaders, D.Battsogt, said their talks with the group led by MP U.Enkhtuvshin had led to agreement on the following.

1. Restoration of the child allowance.

2. The promise to pay every citizen MNT 1.5 million will be kept.

Repealing seven amendments to the State Constitution approved when the MPRP was in power in 2000.
Amending the Mineral Law to make it comply with the Constitution and the Concession law.
Holding a meeting urgently on the Oyutolgoi investment agreement to bring it in line with the 40^th and 57^th protocols of Parliament.
The working group on the July 1 incidents must report openly to the people. Parliament must order the State General Prosecutor to reveal how exactly the five people were killed.
The sides will jointly monitor the implementation of the agreement.
There will be no hunger strikes, sit-ins or any other form of public protest until the terms of the agreement are fulfilled.
The people will be told of the agreement and its progress through Mongolian National Public Broadcaster.

Battsogt said the civil movements will be free to resume the protest if the agreement was not implemented. He said they would also be watching how the election promise of a threefold rise in salaries and pensions is treated.

Asked how much money the civil movements had spent on the protest, General Coordinator of the Independence Alliance, L.Tsog, said he could not name the exact figure. “There was a donation box in Sukhbaatar Square and we used the money people put in it,” he said.