The new MPP headquarters, named Independence Palace, was damaged by fire on Sunday. The fire occurred on the seventh and eighth floors of the building, which is scheduled to open officially on November 26. Fire officials say the cause of the blaze is under investigation.

The old MPP headquarters was burned by demonstrators who opposed election results on July 1, 2008. The MPP began constructing its new headquarters in 2009.

The state allocated MNT 6 billion toward the construction, with MPP members and supporters contributing the balance of the estimated cost of MNT 14.7 billion. Independence Palace was originally scheduled to open in September, but the opening was delayed for final decorative work.

MPP Secretary Ts.Sukhbaatar said there should be a detailed investigation into the cause of the fire because some party officials are suspicious that it was arson.