NGOs call on youth to vote in Presidential Election
Leaders of non-government organizations (NGOs) such as the “We Will Vote” movement, “Khan Khentii Mental Freedom,” “Development Speed” Association, and “Intellectual Gate” held a press conference on Wednesday to appeal to the youth and students of Mongolia to actively participate in the Presidential Election of June 26. According to a report by the General Election Commission (GEC), there is an estimated 1.9 million eligible voters in the upcoming election. In the 1992 Parliamentary Election, the figure of 95.6 percent of total voters cast their ballots, but the voter participation has declined year by year with the 2012 Parliamentary Elections having only 65.2 percent of the total of actual votes.
Around 52 percent of the citizens eligible to vote are the youth aged until 35 years old. Hence, they and the students should have an active participation in the upcoming Presidential Election, making a contribution in choosing Mongolia’s leader who will determine the country’s future development and rule the state, emphasized the conference holders.
The conference holders also warned that there is no guarantee that, this time, the Presidential Election will be repeated as the GEC is operating with the intention to make voter participation at least 90 percent.
If the Presidential Election is to be re-conducted, the budget expenditure for the election will be doubled, which means that some 28 billion MNT will be issued by the state. In that situation, an amount equivalent to building 100 kindergartens will be spent for conducting the second round of the Presidential Election instead, stated the leader of the “We Will Vote” youth movement.
The Parliament decided to issue 15.4 billion MNT from the state budget to spend on the Presidential Election. It is estimated that a total of 80 to 100 billion MNT will be spent for the Presidential Election along with the spending of the candidates from the three political parties for their respective campaigns. If we divide that amount to the all of the voters, around 40 thousand MNT goes to each one of them. In other words, if one voter does not cast his or her ballot in the election, the money will end up as inefficient spending. Thus, the youth in these NGOs approached the GEC to express their interest to cooperate on the upcoming election.
Under the framework of their cooperation agreement with the GEC, they will try to provide the youth and students the opportunity to vote in as many places as possible. According to NGO representatives, the low attendance of voters in the previous election was caused by a law stating that citizens should vote in the polling precincts which are located only in the places where they are affiliate with. That is why it is important to allow young voters to be able to cast their ballots wherever they are, deem the leaders of these NGOs.
Short URL: http://ubpost.mongolnews.mn/?p=4476
Around 52 percent of the citizens eligible to vote are the youth aged until 35 years old. Hence, they and the students should have an active participation in the upcoming Presidential Election, making a contribution in choosing Mongolia’s leader who will determine the country’s future development and rule the state, emphasized the conference holders.
The conference holders also warned that there is no guarantee that, this time, the Presidential Election will be repeated as the GEC is operating with the intention to make voter participation at least 90 percent.
If the Presidential Election is to be re-conducted, the budget expenditure for the election will be doubled, which means that some 28 billion MNT will be issued by the state. In that situation, an amount equivalent to building 100 kindergartens will be spent for conducting the second round of the Presidential Election instead, stated the leader of the “We Will Vote” youth movement.
The Parliament decided to issue 15.4 billion MNT from the state budget to spend on the Presidential Election. It is estimated that a total of 80 to 100 billion MNT will be spent for the Presidential Election along with the spending of the candidates from the three political parties for their respective campaigns. If we divide that amount to the all of the voters, around 40 thousand MNT goes to each one of them. In other words, if one voter does not cast his or her ballot in the election, the money will end up as inefficient spending. Thus, the youth in these NGOs approached the GEC to express their interest to cooperate on the upcoming election.
Under the framework of their cooperation agreement with the GEC, they will try to provide the youth and students the opportunity to vote in as many places as possible. According to NGO representatives, the low attendance of voters in the previous election was caused by a law stating that citizens should vote in the polling precincts which are located only in the places where they are affiliate with. That is why it is important to allow young voters to be able to cast their ballots wherever they are, deem the leaders of these NGOs.
Short URL: http://ubpost.mongolnews.mn/?p=4476
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