After DP Chairman N.Altankhuyag announced on Thursday that the DP is pulling out of the coalition government, our correspondent asked some MPs for their reactions.

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister D.Zorigt
He said the DP’s decision was abrupt and left him very surprised. He said the coalition government was established to work for the country’s development, not for political purposes. He said its purpose was to collaboratively face the state’s challenges. He said there will be many issues to tackle after the 2012 election, including social welfare policy and the building of large factories.

Finance Minister S.Bayartsogt
He said that it was the managing officials of the DP who suggested pulling out of the coalition government and he has nothing to say about their decision.

Health Minister S.Lambaa
S.Lambaa said the DP’s National Consultative Committee (NCC) will ultimately decide whether the party pulls out of the coalition and the committee’s decision will be implemented.

Social Welfare and Labor Minister T.Gandi
She stated that the coalition government has solved many problems, and that the mistakes and achievements of the coalition will be attributed to the government, not the parties.

Road, Transportation and Urban Development Minister Kh.Battulga
He said he thinks the DP’s NCC will decide to pull out of the coalition government. He thinks the DP should report on its work in the coalition government and state its motives for pulling out of it.

Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister G.Zandanshatar
He said he has no definitive opinions on the issue but he believes the coalition government has implemented many projects. Still, he said, it has not addressed many issues, including the Tavantolgoi project. The minister thinks the coalition government should finish some of the work it has already started.

Chief of Cabinet Secretariat Ch.Khurelbaatar
He said that, if the DP’s NCC decides to leave the coalition, a consultative committee of eight DP officials and eight MPP officials will evaluate the decision. He said the agreement creating the coalition requires this. He said 15 percent of the coalition government’s programs have not yet been implemented. He thinks the DP is putting its political interests before the nation’s interests. Ch.Khurelbaatar said perhaps the DP’s NCC will decide to remain in the coalition.

MP Ts.Batbayar
Ts.Batbayar said the DP was talking about leaving the coalition back in September, that the party is playing politics before the election, and that the results will not be good.

MP Z.Altai
He said that the coalition government is a child of the MPP and the DP, and both parties should take responsibility for its faults and merits. He wondered who would benefit from the DP’s “political play.”

MP D.Gankhuyag
D.Gankhuyag said the DP’s NCC is required to decide whether the DP pulls out of the coalition, and that, even though DP managing officials have suggested pulling out, there is no official decision because the DP’s NCC has not discussed the issue.

MP J.Enkhbayar
He said the MPP won 46 seats in the 2008 election and could have formed a government by itself. But he said the MPP invited the DP to form a coalition government to help decide how to address the challenges facing the country. He said the two parties have worked jointly for three years.

He thinks the MPP has thought of the state’s interests before the party’s interests. He said that the DP is preparing for the 2012 election. But, he said, there are still many things to do, such as a constitutional amendment, a change of administration, and a wealth-sharing policy. He added that another significant issue is how to distribute revenue from the Tavantolgoi deposit mine.

MP D.Lundeejantsan
He said there are many issues still to be decided under the coalition agreement and the two parties will address those issues. He wondered about the DP officials’ statement, and he believes the two parties will cooperate further and will honor the agreement. He thinks the two parties should collaborate further because of warnings about an impending global economic crisis.

MP S.Oyun
She said the situation must be clarified soon. She said that, if the DP separates from the coalition government before the election only to rejoin it afterwards, then that is not proper.

MP D.Enkhbat
He said he has been complaining about the “non-standard governance” of the coalition government since it was formed. He said voters chose the MPP in 2008 and the government should be formed according to the Constitution, but the MPP decided to form a coalition government. He said the public accepted the arrangement because of the political and economic uncertainty at the time.