MONGOLIA AMENDS CONSTITUTION TO INCREASE TRANSPARENCY, BOOST EQUALITY AND FURTHER INCREASE REPRESENTATION

(Adnkronos) – ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia, June 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The Mongolian parliament has passed into law a number of changes to the country's Constitution that will strengthen its legislature, increase transparency and bring legislators closer to the people they serve. Representatives in the State Great Khural debated and approved reforms that will increase the size of the body by 50, from 76 to 126 members and see nearly 40% of its members elected through proportional representation. The Government is also shortly due to introduce separate proposals that will increase the representation of women in the parliament. All these changes are set to be in place in time for the next elections to the legislature, due in 2024. The increase in the size of the State Great Khural will address the rise in the number of voters represented by each parliamentarian, which has increased from 27,000 in 1992 to 44,000 today. Alongside the move towards a more proportional electoral system, these reforms will help bring parliamentarians closer to the people they are elected to serve, as well as enhancing the scrutiny given to new laws. A separate amendment to the country's Constitution creates a role for Mongolia's Constitutional Court in reaching a final decision on citizens' petitions which allege a breach of Constitutional civil rights and freedoms, which include equal rights between men and women and freedom of thought, speech and peaceful assembly. Mongolia's political system is centred on the sharing of executive power between the Prime Minister as head of government and an elected President. The country's Constitution was adopted in 1992, with amendments made in 1999, 2000, 2019, and 2022. Recent changes have focused on securing political stability in the country, through for example limiting the maximum term of the presidency from two four-year terms to one six-year term and amending the number of parliamentarians who can hold ministerial positions. Commenting on the proposed changes to the Constitution, Mongolia's Prime Minister, L. Oyun-Erdene, said: "Today, I express my gratitude towards the members for their decision to decentralize power. The role of a parliament member will no longer be dominated by business minds. This pivotal change will ensure that the fundamental principle of truly representing the people and serving as a public representative is fulfilled. It will open doors for more citizen representatives to enter the political arena."   
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