One-third of the country's three million people live below the poverty line, and many say they haven't seen any benefit from the rapid economic growth. At stake in the election was the issue of spreading the wealth of the country's mining boom. The money is rolling in but the people remain poor. Mongolia is wedged between China and Russia, and has massive deposits of coal, copper, gold and uranium. The government estimates its mineral reserves to be worth $1.2 trillion. The country's economy grew by 17.3 per cent last year, one of the fastest-growing in the world. Its foreign direct investment stands at around $5bn. And overshadowing everything is the blight of corruption, which poses the biggest danger to Mongolia's future. In admitting this Elbegdorj Thakia, the Mongolian president, told Al Jazeera: "Corruption is a big problem, because of corruption, because of bad governance I think most of the emerging societies are failing and failed. We [don't] want