On Tuesday, June 3rd, the Mongolian Parliament announced that Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene had resigned following corruption allegations and street protests that erupted last month, after losing parliamentary support. According to a statement from the parliament, a resolution on a vote of confidence for Oyun-Erdene was not passed, indicating his resignation was accepted.
After the voting results were announced, Oyun-Erdene stated, “Serving the country and the people during difficult times such as the pandemic, great power conflicts, and tariff challenges has been a great honor for me.”
Oyun-Erdene had been serving as Prime Minister since January 2021, and was re-elected in July 2024. He will continue as the caretaker Prime Minister until a successor is confirmed within 30 days.
Last month, Mongolian citizens in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar protested for several consecutive weeks, alleging Oyun-Erdene and his family’s involvement in a corruption scandal.
According to a statement released on the Mongolian Parliament website, Oyun-Erdene thanked the Mongolian youth for their concerns about political transparency and appreciated citizens expressing different viewpoints, but he mentioned, “Unfortunately, this has been used as a political excuse and has caused instability.”
He argued that he had always taken a firm stance against corruption, but he admitted to being overly focused on large-scale infrastructure projects, neglecting social and political issues.
As the outgoing Prime Minister, he highlighted his efforts in promoting infrastructure development and resource exploitation, outlining 14 major projects including the construction of mineral processing centers, a water resource allocation plan, as well as dams and power plants.