The current struggle within the Democratic Party (DP) results from 30 years of operation is a regular and natural phenomenon. This is not just a conflict between the groups of S. Erdene and Ts. Tuvaan, nor the difference between holding a congress online or in person, or even a fight over whose seal is valid. It is a struggle over which group will get to compete in next year’s presidential election.
The DP continues to drift apart from its fundamental democratic values, such as human rights, freedoms, private property, and the free market, losing the people’s trust. DP members with no values and no guiding leadership can be compared to train compartments that are ready to be mounted on just any train, if only it leads them to power and money.
If the DP’s money sack is not opened, the pressing issues are not investigated, the root causes not identified and corrected, the Mongolian government will gradually diminish in strength. This is because a democratic government rots in the absence of strong political opposition like a dirty pond in the absence of oxygen.
If the DP keeps weakening as it is today, the Mongolian society is likely to live under a one-party monopoly for another decade, waiting for a third force to emerge. Politics shall function like a river system and be able to replace management. Only then, the governance will be transparent and accountable, so that citizens can have the sufficient and necessary conditions to benefit from their freedoms, responsibilities and free market economy, and ultimately have a prosperous life.
Therefore, the DP’s problem should concern not only its members but all Mongolians. This party crisis can be examined at two levels: the Mongolian party system and the institutionalization of parties. Institutionalization is the full adoption of a concept or ideology into an organization, company, or social system. When done correctly, institutionalization allows an organization to last for a long time, regardless of changes in leadership or members.
Party System Institutionalization
The only party that managed to become a relative institution in Mongolia is the 100-year-old Mongolian People’s Party (MPP). The DP is thirty years old, and every other party is even younger. Since the formation of the multi-party system, the DP and the MPP have held coalition power in turns. In the last two consecutive elections, however, the MPP has won 65 and 62 of the 76 parliamentary seats. In the current parliament, the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party (MPRP) and the National Labor Party (NLP) each won a seat.
The biggest obstacle to party institutionalization is our electoral system. For 30 years, the authorities have changed the election law to their advantage before elections. Seven of the total eight elections were held in a majoritarian way, favoring the two biggest parties. In 2012, a proportional and mixed majority system was used, paving the way for small political parties, coalitions, and independent runners to win 20 seats.
The next main cause is the funding of political parties. Funding stays confidential, and often, false reports are made. There is no system to monitor party activities and election campaign revenues and expenditures and hold officials accountable. Neither was the ‘Law on Political Parties’ complied with, nor were amendments made. According to the 2005 law, a party will receive 1000 tugriks per vote and 10 million tugriks per seat once a year, and the amount of money is subject to currency rates. Although billions of tugriks have been disbursed over the past 15 years, the parliament has never released a detailed report to the public. A recording of a conversation in which the former leader of the MPP plans to raise an additional 60 billion tugriks for the party setting prices on government positions and offer them, has been made public.
It is no longer possible for a non-ruling party to compete with the one that seizes state power, mobilizes public funds and public institutions to run its election campaign. As long as a political party is funded from the state budget or taxpayers’ money, regular reporting is mandatory. In Germany, one-third of political party funding is provided by the state, while two-thirds comprise membership fees and donations from members in public office and other bodies. In addition to the number of votes or seats won, the increase in the number of members is also taken into account.
Political parties are more institutionalized in economically developed countries than in poor countries. A study of 10 post-communist countries concluded that the institutionalization of the party system in the first 20 years was primarily a matter of money (F. Bertoa. 2017). Romania and Ukraine are given as prime examples. If our country had participated in this study, it would have been at the forefront of this example.
Institutionalization of the DP
I attended the first congress of the Mongolian Democratic Union (MDU) at the Cultural Palace of Mongolian Trade Union on February 18, 1990, and took a personal note. S. Zorig, a friend from Moscow State University, opened the event, and D. Sosorbaram gave a “political speech.” It was concluded with: “The MDU sees socialism as a better society than capitalism. We just need to increase productivity. …Having four aimags and two cities… Creating many forms of property… Enriching Marxism creatively…”
Six days later, on February 24, the Mongolian Student Union (MSU) organized the first meeting of the “All Democratic Forces of Mongolia” at the Building III of the National University of Mongolia. The New Progressive Alliance, the Democratic Socialist Movement, and the Mongolian Democratic Union took part in it. I facilitated the meeting and recorded some personal notes. Representing the Democratic Union, Elbegdorj (Reporter at the newspaper “Ulaan Od,” later President), Jargalsaikhan (Buyan company), Batsukh (Ard), and Tumurbaatar were demanding the resignation of the entire Political Bureau followed by the establishment of a coalition government and special commission of the people. It was also suggested to hold a public demonstration in Sukhbaatar Square on March 4.
The DP is a political force created from the decades-long dreams and aspirations of the Mongolian people, and that is why it has led the people, initiated the democratic revolution, and shared the state power. Now, however, the DP has lost its values, is in debt, and homeless. It is an army of unemployed people living from home to home – a blind mass hungry for power and money. Despite having sold two buildings, the party’s current boss does not even know where the money went. Is it possible to be in such disastrous situation like this?
The highest governing body of the DP is the National Policy Committee (NPC). Under the previous chairman, Z. Enkhbold, the committee consisted of 228 members divided into factions and groups that could not make a unified decision. The new rules in 2016 dictated that there would be 410 members elected from each party committee. The party leader also needed to be elected directly by the members according to the new rules. Five people donated 250 million tugriks each to the party to compete for the position, with the largest number of votes on a national level granting a win. It was then followed by S. Erdene’s win, and the party’s seal was handed to him. The members of the Democratic Party are unregistered and rarely pay fees, so the five candidates’ run for the leader’s position was, in fact, a race to distribute membership cards to the largest number of people rather than to get the most votes. The DP has become a free-entrance theater, but one has to pay an ever-increasing fee as they go higher up the ladder. “If you are in politics, you must be able to finance your political career and activities,” says the former party chairman S. Erdene. The “ticket” to run for the 2020 election reached 100 million tugriks, and 90 people paid for it.
The Democratic Party has always changed its structure. The recent e-congress “strengthened the accountability system, with special emphasis on the responsibilities of the party leaders and elected members. Members elect the chairman and leaders of the party committee of their respective level. To select candidates for the Parliamentary elections, voting shall be held. …Elected members of the party must be the brightest in their field, positive influencers to the society, and leading professionals. It is stated to open the door for young people and women to work at the party policy-making level” (O. Altangerel, Chairman of the Working Group on Amendments to the Party Charter).
Fundamental political values, such as leadership, responsibility, and the participation of women and youth, are being incorporated into the DP’s charter only now. The leadership viewed the party as their private property and the members as tools. The DP’s activities are like a tumbleweed tumbling by the interests of a few individuals at the top. The current struggle is no different. It looks like ordinary members are demanding rules and principles, but deep down, it is a money fight over whether to re-nominate President Kh. Battulga for the next election.
The views of the ruling party and the opposition must be different. However, the difference has vanished, as both the MPP and the DP have become left-wing populist parties. Moreover, every political party must have a widely-known, recognized, and respected leader. Has there been a real leader in the DP, or even in Mongolia since 1990? Who can be named a government leader, whose words and deeds matched, who did not make a personal profit while in office, and who is not involved in corruption and scandals? Due to all this, the Mongolian party system and particular parties such as the DP still cannot be institutionalized.
A political party is an essential component of a free and democratic society, a union of citizens, and a semi-governmental organization that can gain state power. Parties are a crucial tool for influencing and expressing public opinion and implementing the will of the people. Therefore, the Mongolian system of political parties and all parties, especially the DP, must be institutionalized and have their values restored.
2020.12.28
Trans. by Riya.T and Munkh-Erdene.D