Mongolia: New premier set to pick 4-member Cabinet

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) - The newly appointed Mongolian prime minister met with the country’s president and speaker to finalize his Cabinet, local media reported on Friday.

Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene called on President Khaltma Battulga and Speaker Gombojavyn Zandanshatar to finalize his four-member Cabinet, according to daily the UB Post.

The constitution of Mongolia, amended last year, requires four legislators to be named Cabinet members, in addition to the prime minister, to run government affairs.

Oyun-Erdene will send his Cabinet member picks to Battulga by Saturday, which will be approved by the 76-member parliament, locally known as the State Great Khural, the daily reported.

The ruling People’s Party's former Chief Cabinet Secretary Oyun-Erdene, 41, was picked as the 32nd prime minister on Wednesday with 87.9% approval.

He succeeded Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, who has served as the prime minister since October 2017. Khurelsukh stepped down last week after two of his ministers resigned under public pressure.

China’s state-run Xinhua news reported that the capital Ulaanbaatar witnessed protests after a video footage on social media showed a coronavirus patient wearing just hospital pajamas and plastic slippers being moved to a quarantine facility in freezing weather.

Admitted earlier to a maternity hospital for pregnancy, she was holding her newborn baby.

According to the US-based Johns Hopkins University, Mongolia has reported 1,710 coronavirus cases, including two deaths since the outbreak in 2019.

- Prime minister vows to focus on country’s uplift

Setting his governance agenda, Oyun-Erdene said: “Mongolia earns about $7.6 million from exports, 89% of which is mining products. Science, innovation, food, agriculture, logistics, and tourism should be identified as the country’s priorities.”

He vowed: “I will focus on establishing the National Wealth Fund and developing other sectors through it. We will maintain our domestic currency exchange rate and support national procurement. Researchers say that if these are not done in a timely manner, the situation could worsen in the near future.”

"Railway and road projects should be financed and prioritized in terms of economic benefits and importance,” he added, expecting to save about $600 million to $900 million in transportation costs.