”Parliamentary, local elections must be held at same time”
The DP caucus discussed two issues on Monday: amendments to the law on local elections and mining at the Tavantolgoi project.
Members of the caucus said amendments to the law on local elections should be passed, even tough Parliament is scheduled to go into recess of Tuesday. DP caucus chairman Ch.Saikhanbileg noted that Parliament could be recessed on Wednesday instead. He added that, if Parliament fails to pass the amendments in the current session, there will be no guarantee that the elections will be fair. He said that is why Parliament and the Election General Committee should urgently address the matter. The DP caucus has submitted a draft law on local elections with the aim of holding the elections on the same day as the parliamentary election. But the MPP caucus wants to hold the two elections separately, and MPP MPs have submitted a draft law to that effect.
Ch.Saikhanbileg said the competing drafts should be discussed in Parliament and the Standing Committees, and the two caucuses should attempt to reach a compromise. But he reaffirmed the DP’s “strong position” that the elections should be held at the same time.
A caucus working group on Parliament’s 39th protocol on mining at Tavantolgoi announced it has finished its work. Members of the group said Chief of Cabinet Secretariat Ch.Khurelbaatar has informed them that, if Parliament approves, MNT 1 million could be granted to each citizen. They noted that the MNT 2.8 trillion required for the payments has not been allocated in the state budget, and a source of funding has not been determined yet. That is why the DP caucus says it still needs to be determined how the MNT 1 million will be distributed to citizens who own Tavantolgoi shares.
Ch.Saikhanbileg added that the caucus will meet with Speaker D.Demberel to discuss urgent issues remaining in the autumn session, including amendments to the law on local elections and Parliament’s 39th protocol, revising the 2012 state budget, and draft laws on elimination of a pension differential and on health insurance.
Members of the caucus said amendments to the law on local elections should be passed, even tough Parliament is scheduled to go into recess of Tuesday. DP caucus chairman Ch.Saikhanbileg noted that Parliament could be recessed on Wednesday instead. He added that, if Parliament fails to pass the amendments in the current session, there will be no guarantee that the elections will be fair. He said that is why Parliament and the Election General Committee should urgently address the matter. The DP caucus has submitted a draft law on local elections with the aim of holding the elections on the same day as the parliamentary election. But the MPP caucus wants to hold the two elections separately, and MPP MPs have submitted a draft law to that effect.
Ch.Saikhanbileg said the competing drafts should be discussed in Parliament and the Standing Committees, and the two caucuses should attempt to reach a compromise. But he reaffirmed the DP’s “strong position” that the elections should be held at the same time.
A caucus working group on Parliament’s 39th protocol on mining at Tavantolgoi announced it has finished its work. Members of the group said Chief of Cabinet Secretariat Ch.Khurelbaatar has informed them that, if Parliament approves, MNT 1 million could be granted to each citizen. They noted that the MNT 2.8 trillion required for the payments has not been allocated in the state budget, and a source of funding has not been determined yet. That is why the DP caucus says it still needs to be determined how the MNT 1 million will be distributed to citizens who own Tavantolgoi shares.
Ch.Saikhanbileg added that the caucus will meet with Speaker D.Demberel to discuss urgent issues remaining in the autumn session, including amendments to the law on local elections and Parliament’s 39th protocol, revising the 2012 state budget, and draft laws on elimination of a pension differential and on health insurance.
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