ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT KHALTMAAGIIN BATTULGA AT THE PLENARY SESSION OF THE STATE GREAT KHURAL
“Members of the State Great Khural,
Speaker of the State Great Khural,
The purpose of my address at the plenary session of the State Great Khural is to make a proposal that I already made once again.
In the view that the Parliament was no longer in a position to carry out its mandate, I made a proposal on its self-dissolution on October 29, 2018.
I am sure that you all remember how the then Speaker of Parliament M.Enkhbold took a decision that blocked the possibility of discussing the proposal under consideration of the Parliament and made an excuse with an official letter to express his disagreement with me. After nearly six months, there has been no upturn in the ethics and fairness of the Parliament and no substantial improvement in its functions, but rather deterioration, which leads us nearer to complete loss of trust of the citizens and constituents.
Therefore, based on Section 1 of Article 31 of the Law on the State Great Khural of Mongolia, I am proposing to and calling on You again to discuss and issue a resolution on the matter of self-dissolution of the Parliament before the end of its term an account of incapability of carrying out its mandate.
Members of the Parliament,
The Parliament, which was formed as a result of the 2016 General Elections, has continued to engage in numerous malpractices that would potentially dash the hopes of its constituents and violate the interests of the people. Let me remind you.
- After establishing large-sum concession agreements that are full of conflict of interest with companies associated with its members and on account of its faulty policies, the Cabinet led by J.Erdenebat was dismissed.
- Through many evidences, it was proven that 49 members of the Parliament had been granted with loans with annual interest of 3 percent from the SMEs Development Fund on preferential terms, as an act of negligence of their oaths and disregard to the ethics of public service, and had “stolen” the opportunities of ordinary citizens.
- The act where the former Chairman of the Mongolian People’s Party and former Speaker of the Parliament was linked to a case of attempting to illegally seize state power by putting price on and selling public positions, which is dubbed “MNT 60 billion”, and acknowledged his involvement.
- With further escalation of the acts where MPs amend laws in line with their interests to release culprits from legal responsibility under the name of “remission by elapse of the limitation period”, are linked to murder cases, and are accused of corruption, the MPs’ moral capacity to represent the Mongolian people has basically been exhausted.
Least of all, the worsening violations of the provisions in the Law on the State Palace of Mongolia and practices of storing and consuming alcoholic drinks in office have set the scene for loss of life.
Despite of inclusion of many articles and clauses that would restrict human rights and freedom, creation of opportunities for the Minister of Finance that are superior to judicial power, and the seemingly-under-influence insertion of many clauses that violate business people’s rights to property and liberty of movement and undermine the founding principle of a limited liability company, a structure that is considered to be an achievement of civilization, the Parliament adopted the Package Law on Taxation with much ignorance and without proper scrutiny.
Since old times, wise men have taught that the foundation of national development and prosperity is demonstration of justice and strict compliance with the code of moral conduct by public servants and the state. In Mongolia, the Parliament has made itself an example of immoral and shameless behavior while lacking the ability to earn the people’s trust and lead them towards welfare. Now, the Mongolian people openly discuss and criticize this image of the Parliament where majority of the MPs have been involved in criminal and corruption cases or moral dereliction and to harshly point out, an impression that the Parliament has become “an assembly of criminals.”
Members of the Parliament,
I call on you again to reach consensus on self-dissolution of the Parliament, as an act of political courage and in respect to the national interest. If you are courageous enough, there is no doubt that this act will set ideals of integrity in the history of our statehood, as a great deed that would prove to the Mongolian people as well as the world that the government of Mongolia is capable of self-purification.
Do realize and feel the importance your courage and decency in restoring normalcy in the functions of the Parliament, which continue to decline, and bringing about political reform and encourage and lead your peers towards a hard, but important decision for the sake of the constituents and the future of this country.
This will be supported by the people as the noblest action that you can carry out.
Thank you for your attention.”
