The European Union has hailed last month”s legislative elections in Mongolia
as an important step in strengthening democracy in the mineral-rich Central
Asian nation, and said it looks forward to the smooth formation of a new
government that will work for the benefit and prosperity of the Mongolian
people reported RTTNews.

“The EU and Mongolia share many common values. Respect for human
rights, democracy and the rule of law are at the heart of our relationship. I look
forward to further deepening of our relations when we sign a Partnership and
Cooperation Agreement in the near future,” EU Foreign Policy Chief
Catherine Ashton said in a statement on Tuesday.

The June 28 polls were for electing members to the 76-seat unicameral
legislature. Preliminary results indicated that the Opposition Democratic Party
has captured more votes than the ruling Mongolian People”s Party, but not
enough to form a government on its own.

Currently, both the Democratic Party as well as the Mongolian People”s Party
were engaged in separate talks with smaller parties on the formation of a
coalition government. Announcement of final poll results was delayed due to
technical problems connected with the newly-introduced automated counting system.

Run-up to the elections was marred by the arrest of former President
Nambaryn Enkhbayar on corruption charges. Enkhbayar, who was Mongolia”s
President from 2005 to 2009, was arrested on April 13 for failing to appear for
questioning on graft charges.

Enkhbayar was released on bail in May after he went on a hunger-strike
protesting his detention. Nevertheless, charges against him were not withdrawn.
The charges reportedly include stealing a donation of television equipment
worth about $113,000 meant to go to a Buddhist monastery in 2000 and not paying
duties to ship eight volumes of a book he authored from South Korea to
Mongolia.