MONGOLIA, STRIKING A BALANCE
In: The world today, Band 50, Heft 6, S. 104-105
ISSN: 0043-9134
ON THE FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE COLLAPSE OF SOVIET-STYLE COMMUNISM, MONGOLIA IS ONCE AGAIN FACING POLITICAL TURMOIL AND CONFRONTATION. THE RULING MONGOLIAN PEOPLE'S REVOLUIONARY PARTY (MPRP) HAS RESTORED ITS MONOPOLY OF GOVERNMENT, ENTRENCHED ITSELF IN ALL SPHERES OF ADMINISTRATION, AND REFUSES TO COOPERATE WITH THE OPPOSITION, WHICH IS SUPPORTED BY AT LEAST HALF THE ELECTORATE. BRITAIN, JAPAN, THE UNITED STATES AND OTHER DONOR COUNTRIES HAVE BEEN GENEROUS IN THEIR EFFORTS TO KEEP MONGOLIA AFLOAT. THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND HAS HELD THE MONGOLIAN GOVERNMENT FIRMLY TO ITS FORMULA OF A TRANSITION TO AN MARKET ECONOMY. BUT SOCIAL AND POLITICAL LIFE HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY FRAGILE AS THE DECAY OF THE ECONOMY HAS CONTINUED. THE CURRENT POLITICAL CONFRONTAION HAS ONCE AGIAN RAISED THE KEY QUESTION: IS THE MPRP REALLY A REFORMED COMMUNIST PARTY WHICH HAS TRULY EMBRACED DEMOCRACY? IN THE AUTHOR'S OPINION THE ANSWER IS UNCLEAR, BUT THE MPRP'S INCLINATION TO MONOPOLIZE THE POLITICAL SCENE MUST BE CURBED.