MONGOLIA: Mongolia's coalition government is on the brink of collapse after more than half its cabinet ministers, members of the majority Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP), resigned yesterday.
"The MPRP leadership council has decided that this government should fall," party chief and Ulan Bator mayor Miegombyn Enkhbold said.
The party, which ruled the country for much of the 20th century as a Soviet satellite, said it wanted to pull out of the government because of a slowdown in economic growth and rising inflation since Prime Minister Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj of the Democrats was elected in 2004.
"This is not coming out of the blue," Tjalling Halbertsma, a UN adviser to the office of Mongolia's president, told reporters.
"It seems to be an ongoing process where people feel that the government is somewhat in limbo and not able to govern the country and continue the growth of the economy as we have seen the last few years."
The government has yet to issue an official reaction.
But some western diplomats in the Mongolian capital said the MPRP's move could be a reaction to corruption investigations launched by Mr Elbegdorj, or at least would likely be perceived by the public as tied to the investigations.
MPRP officials have denied any links between the resignations and the anti-corruption campaign.
Parliament, the Great Hural, will vote today on whether or not to accept the resignations.
With the MPRP occupying half the seats in parliament, an acceptance was likely, meaning Mr Elbegdorj's government would collapse, Mr Halbertsma said.
In such a case, his government would take on an interim role until a new leadership was formed or, "in the worst case", by new elections, he said.
Power shifts are not new to the vast, wind-swept country, once one of the world's greatest empires under Genghis Khan.
Mr Elbegdorj was among a group of young writers, artists, university teachers and students who rose up against seven decades of Soviet-backed communist rule and demanded democracy in 1990.