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Mongolia has functioned as an independent republic since its independence from China on March 13, 1921. |
National Anthemn
"Bugd Nayramdah mongol ard ulsyn toriin duulal"
"State Anthemn of the Mongolian People's Republic" |
From March 1921, when Mongolia won its independence from China, until May 1990, the Mongolian Government was modeled on the old Soviet Communist system. Only the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) was officially allowed to operate.
The birth of perestroika in the former Soviet Union and the evolution of democracy in Eastern Europe took hold in Mongolia as well. Shortly after the first demonstrations were held in the Mongolian capitol of Ulaanbaatar in December 1989, a democracy movement took hold that led to swift and peaceful changes in Mongolia.
In the March 1990, faced with strong organized opposition from the Mongolian Democratic Union, the leadership of the MPRP resigned. The Mongolian Constitution was amended in May that year, eliminating the MPRP's role as a guiding force in the country, legalizing opposition parties, creating a standing legislative body (Baga Hural, the small Hural), and establishing the office of president. Mongolia held its first multi-party elections on July 29, 1990, and elected a People's Great Hural.
The People's Great Hural began discussing a new constitution in November 1991, which took effect on February 12, 1992. The new constitution established Mongolia as an independent, sovereign republic and guaranteed a number of rights and freedoms. It also restructured the legislative branch of government, creating a unicameral legislature, the State Great Hural (SGH).
The Mongolian government consists of three branches: an executive branch, a unicameral legislative branch, and a judicial branch.
Mongolia's President, elected by popular vote to a four-year term, sits second in authority to the 76-member State Great Hural. The President is Chief of State, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and head of the National Security Council. Limited to two terms, the Mongolian President is empowered by the constitution to nominate a prime minister, call for dissolution of the government, initiate legislation, veto all or parts of legislation, and issue decrees, which become effective with the prime minister's signature. Mongolia has no Vice-President. In the absence, incapacity, or resignation of the president, the Chairman of the State Great Hural assumes presidential power until a newly elected president is inaugurated.
The Mongolian Government, headed by the Prime Minister, is limited to a four-year term. The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers are nominated by the President and confirmed by the State Great Hural. The Prime Minister selects a Cabinet, subject to approval by the State Great Hural. Executive power is divided between the President and the Prime Minister. Dissolution of the government occurs if the Prime Minister resigns, if half or more of the Cabinet resigns simultaneously, or after the State Great Hural votes for dissolution.
Mongolia has a unicameral-style legislature, the State Great Hural. As Mongolia's supreme governmental body, the 76 deputies of the State Great Hural are empowered to enact and amend laws, determine domestic and foreign policy, ratify international agreements, and declare states of emergency. In addition, the State Great Hural can override any presidential veto with a two-thirds majority vote. Deputies of the legislature are popularly elected by district to 4-year terms. They elect their chairman and vice chairman to serve four-year terms. The State Great Hural meets semi-annually.
Local hurals (legislatures) are elected by the 18 provinces, aimags, and the 3 municipalities of Ulaanbaatar, Darhan, and Erdenet.
Mongolia's legal system is a blend of Russian, Chinese, and Turkish systems of law. At the apex of the judicial system is the Constitutional Court, empowered by the Constitution to supervise the implementation of the Constitution, make judgment on violations of its provisions, and solve disputes. The court's nine justices, appointed to six-year terms, have no jurisdiction beyond interpreting the Mongolian Constitution.
The Constitution empowers the General Council of Courts (GCC) to select all judges and protect their rights. The Supreme Court, Mongolia's highest judicial body, is staffed with judges nominated by the General Council of Courts and confirmed by the State Great Hural and the President. The Supreme Court has the constitutional power to examine all lower court decisions on appeal, excluding specialized court rulings, and provide official interpretations on all laws except the constitution. It rarely overturns lower court verdicts. There is no provision for judicial review of legislative acts.
Specialized civil, criminal, and administrative courts exist at all levels in Mongolia, and none are subject to Supreme Court supervision. District and city governors ensure that these courts abide by presidential decrees and decisions of the State Great Hural.
Bourgeois Party (Bourgeois); Buddhist Democratic Party; Green Party (Greens); Mongolian Independence Party (Independence); Mongolian National Democratic Party (MNDP); Mongolian People's Party (MPP); Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP); Mongolian Social Democratic Party (MSDP); Mongolian Worker's Party (MWP); United Party of Farmers and Herdsmen (Herdsmen); United Party of Private Property Owners (PPOP). Opposition parties were legalized in May 1990.
The CIA World Factbook contains the latest information on Mongolia's Government.
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