June 2.-  Barely 15 years ago, Mongolia was among the most backward, less democratic and more corrupt Stalinist dictatorships in the World.  Suddenly, seven decades of Soviet domination ended and democracy was introduced in the middle of chaos and instability.

Mongolians have grown used to voting regularly, evolving to a clear-cut multiparty system.  On May 22nd voters turned out in mass (74,9%) to elect a new President:  Nambaryn Enkhbayar, leader of the formerly communist Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party (MPRP).  

Last year’s Parliamentary elections gave the MPRP only 37 of 76 seats.  The Motherland Democracy, headed by Enkhsaikhan’s Democratic Party, rules in coalition with several other minor parties, with a very weak parliamentary majority.

A hopeful note is that the day following the Presidential elections, Mr. Enkhsaikhan graciously joined his victorious former communist rival for prayers at the country’s main monastery.

Freedom House rated the country on political rights with a 2 and on civil rights with a 2, both on a scale of 1 to 7 (1 is the most free). Freedom House considers Mongolia to be a free country.  In contrast, China received a rating of 7 and 6, North Korea of 7 and 7, Russia of 5 and 5, and Vietnam of 7 and 7.