| 2021 Mongolian protests | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Protestors gathering atSukhbaatar Square inUlaanbaatar on 20 January 2021 | |||
| Date | 20 January 2021 (2021-01-20) – 22 January 2021 (2021-01-22) (2 days) | ||
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| Resulted in | Protests successful
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The2021 Mongolian protests were mass demonstrations in the Mongolian capital ofUlaanbaatar that led to the resignation ofPrime MinisterUkhnaagiin Khürelsükh.[1]
Thousands protested on the streets between 20 and 22 January 2021 against the government's response to theCOVID-19 pandemic in Mongolia. The protests were sparked by public outrage over widely circulated footage showing a new mother and her newborn being transferred to a quarantine facility in freezing conditions.
Protesters demanded the removal of various government officials, eventually leading to the resignation of the Prime Minister andhis cabinet on 21 January. The protests took place against a backdrop of wider frustration overeconomic hardship andrising unemployment, despite earlier praise from theWorld Health Organization for Mongolia’s initial handling of the pandemic.[2]
During theCOVID-19 pandemic in Mongolia, restrictions on movement between provinces had been imposed since November 2020, leaving about 80,000 people stranded in the capital as of January 2021. Many complained of waiting weeks for virus tests to allow them to return to their homes or of having to sleep in their cars with hotels closed due to lockdowns. From March 2020, Mongolia only allowed citizens to enter the country onchartered flights and required 21 days ofquarantine in centralised facilities, followed by two weeks of further isolation at home. As of the time of the protests, there were 1,584 coronavirus cases in the country and three deaths.[3]
To prevent the steady rise in coronavirus cases across the country, a 14-day long strict lockdowns were put in place in Ulaanbaatar on 23 December 2020.[4] The lockdowns were further extended on January 4th by the government for 4 more days.[5] Residents of Ulaanbaatar were ultimately met with a 50 day strict lockdown in the first half of 2021.[6]On 20 January 2021, footage circulated on television and social media showing a woman and her newborn being transferred to aCOVID-19 quarantine facility in freezing weather, with the mother dressed only in a hospital gown. The footage sparked widespread outrage over the perceived mistreatment of the patient, especially given that Mongolian tradition holds new mothers should be protected from cold weather and avoid cold food during the first month after childbirth.[3][7]
Public outrage over the footage of a mother and her newborn sparked apeaceful protest atSukhbaatar Square inUlaanbaatar. Around 5,000 mostly young protesters gathered in front of government buildings, with some holding bundled cloths symbolizing infants.[3] Initially focused on holding hospital staff accountable, the protests quickly expanded in scope. Public anger grew to include broader demands forpress freedom,freedom of assembly, and criticism of the government’s overall handling of the pandemic, particularly itslockdown measures. The demonstrations soon reflected deeper frustrations with governance in Mongolia and led to calls for the removal of officials at theNational Emergency Commission, the National Center for Communicable Diseases, the National First Responders, and ultimately, thecabinet and theprime minister.[7]
On the first day of the protests,Deputy Prime MinisterYangugiin Sodbaatar and Health MinisterTogtmol Munkhsaikhan submitted their resignations to thePrime MinisterUkhnaagiin Khürelsükh in response to the public outrage.[8] The directors of both the hospital and the National Center for Communicable Diseases, at the center of the controversy, also stepped down.[3] The following day, the Prime Minister announced his own resignation, stating "Two of my cabinet members have decided to resign from their positions. When I first formed this cabinet, I planned to work with the whole team of the cabinet together. Therefore, the Prime Minister should assume the responsibility upon himself and accept the demand from the public." He also emphasized that he would not be withdrawing from politics and that he would remain committed to upholding justice and strengthening Mongolian statehood.[8]
Khurelsukh accused PresidentKhaltmaagiin Battulga, a member of the oppositionDemocratic Party whose term was set to end later that year, of orchestrating the protests. Battulga responded with surprise, stating "I wonder and wonder why the prime minister of Mongolia did such an act that undermined the trust of the Mongolian people, undermined national unity and openly slandered the president of Mongolia."[9]
On January 22, the parliament, which was controlled by Khurelsukh’sMongolian People’s Party, voted overwhelmingly to accept his resignation.[9] He was succeeded byLuvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene, thenchief cabinet secretary.[2][10] At the time of his resignation, Mongolia had recorded 1,584 confirmed COVID-19 cases and three deaths, according to the health ministry, although Khurelsukh stated in his resignation speech that the country had not yet reported any fatalities from the virus.[2]
Khurelsukh's resignation was seen as a surprise both domestically and internationally and did little to quell public dissatisfaction. According to Turboldyn Bat-Orgil, anindependent2020 parliamentary candidate and government critic, many Mongolians remained skeptical of the prime minister’s motives, describing the resignation as abrupt and puzzling.[7] Many saw the resignation as an excuse for Khurelsukh to leave the office of Prime Minister and run for the presidency in the upcomingpresidential election.[11]
After his resignation, Khurelsukh still remained as thechairman of the MPP until June 2021, when he became the MPP presidential candidate for the2021 election and subsequently won by alandslide victory.[12] He was elected the 6thPresident of Mongolia, succeeding Battulga. Oyun-Erdene was nominated as the MPP's next party chairman on June 25.[13]
