Mongolia is capable of developing so rapidly that it can become as developed as today’s Canada in one’s lifetime. Our country has vast territory and is rich with natural resources just like Canada and it borders with the biggest market in the world where processed resources can be supplied. However, an obstacle to this rapid development is our government’s incapability. This incapability of government directly relates to functions of political parties that implement governance. In a democratic country, the ruling party who acquired its authorities in election becomes a tool for implementing public governance. Winston Churchill once said “It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.”
The main driving force that improves governance is its transparency. The two political parties that have been ruling parties of Mongolia separately and together are not able to grow up as an institution and are suffering from “infant diseases” and they cannot keep up with the pace of drastic changes of development in our country. Mongolians who have sensed opportunities of democratic, free, young and energetic globalization are tired of waiting for their political parties to grow up, keep up with the pace and lead the great leap towards development. Political parties in Mongolia are doing nothing except pursuing after obsolete concepts, organizing useless campaigns and events with fancy names and fighting over authority and power, which can be called as “infant diseases” of political parties. Those obsolete concepts refer to political parties that take ownership of people’s values, are proud about that and try to brainwash people.
The fact that a political party might have had a leading role when people created a value is not denied, however, political parties cannot accept the fact that the value would not have been created if it had not been for the people. The Mongolian People’s Party (formerly known as Mongolian People’s Republic Party), which was the ruling party of Mongolia in 1996-2000, had a new building built for MNT 15 billion on the grounds of its former headquarters building that was burnt down because of protests against the results of the last election and called it “The Palace of Independence”. The Mongolian Democratic Party is going to replace its headquarters building with a new one, which will be taller than that of MPP, called “The Palace of Democracy”. These buildings are all built with public budget. It looks like the next political party will probably have a building called “The Palace of Freedom”. Just like they declared the flag of Mongolia for their possession only when they won the election and acquired authority, they might pass a law in order to declare Mongolia’s independence for their possession as well.
A country’s flag is raised at Olympic Games, not some political party’s flag. Behind this “aggression”, their secret policy to continue taking advantage of public properties in the name of the state and increase their power is hidden. The results of that are those people who were or are on higher political positions but exposed of their fraud by the press. Today’s cases about property fraud are only the tip of an iceberg. This is the inevitable end product of an non-transparent governance and Mongolians will eventually reveal the truth.
In democratic countries, a political party who had a building built for themselves with public budget without people’s approval and called it “The Palace of Independence” would never be chosen again in election. If this was to replace those buildings that were burnt down by protesters, why are the gallery and other arts buildings left without repairment? All those buildings that were left without repairs belonged to people and the only building that was replaced is a party’s property. This explains their priorities: whose interests are more important for them. Another reason why political parties are not growing up as an institution is that they lack acknowledged leaders and persistent ideology. They are talking about what they did in the past instead of what they will achieve in the future. Members of political parties have always put their personal interests before the interests of their parties. Public budget allocation is the mirror that lets us see that most clearly. Political parties are fighting over power and authority and members of those parties are willing to say anything in order to be elected again. There is no such thing as responsibilities of a political party.
Political parties are incapable of charging those who lost faith and responsibility within the party; therefore, they do not have any choice but to wait for a group in a party to be replaced by another. Mongolian people are still waiting for political parties to get rid of their “infant diseases”, improve political culture, be exemplary, punish those who did public property frauds not after their resignations but before appointing them to high positions. People even doubt about who they have chosen now. On the other hand, people need to welcome a new political party and not choose today’s ruling parties again. Purpose of purpose of Mongolian people is not necessarily to choose the same people every time and, as time goes by, a political power that supports people’s desire to improve their lives, provides freedom for that and has honest, diligent, disciplined and responsible leaders who are acknowledged by people will emerge. Today’s politicians should stop giving money for free and underestimating people. That money should be spent on building roads and improving schools and hospitals. The time has come for political parties and people to make a choice.
Translated by B.AMAR
2011.12.08