Mongolians pick president after scandal-plagued campaign

ULAN BATOR: Mongolians voted on Monday to choose between a horse breeder, a judoka and a feng shui master in a presidential election rife with corruption scandals and nationalist rhetoric.
From the sprawling steppes to the capital and even in yurts serving as polling stations, people went to the polls in the country sandwiched between Russia and China that was once seen as an oasis of democracy full of economic promise.
Nomadic herders filed into a yurt in the city of Erdene Sum, 100km east of the capital Ulan Bator, to cast their ballots — wearing traditional deel coats, fedoras and boots.
"As a voter I believe justice is the most important thing for Mongolia," said Dendev Boris, 63, who unlike others showed up in a business suit.
"There must be justice in every aspect of society," he said. "I haven't taken the corruption allegations too seriously because they have not been proven."
The resource-rich nation of just three million has struggled in recent years with mounting debt.
The next president will inherit a US$5.5 billion (RM23.59 billion) bailout led by the International Monetary Fund and designed to stabilise its economy and lessen dependence on China, which purchases 80% of Mongolian exports.
But voters have heard little from the three candidates about unemployment and jobs, their top concerns according to opinion polls. Campaigning has instead focused on their opponents' allegedly shady pasts.
Among the accusations are a 60 billion tugrik (RM109,126.18) scheme to sell government posts, hefty offshore accounts and a clandestine donation from a member of a South Korean church — all of which the respective candidates have denied.
"I didn't like the campaigns, I felt like I had no one to work for," Batbayar Nyamjargal, 24, said after voting at a polling station next to a playground in Ulan Bator.
"I thought about the decision for a long time, and I'm still not 100% sure I made the right choice. All three of them had issues."
Run-off looms
The campaign was also marked by moments of anti-Chinese sentiment. Mieygombo Enkhbold of the Mongolian People's Party (MPP) which controls parliament published his family tree to rebuff claims that he had Chinese blood.
"(The election) is truly testing the nerves of voters," analyst Gerel Orgil told AFP. "It's been like watching a bullfight."
Enkhbold, a horse breeder and former mayor of Ulan Bator, is considered the establishment candidate.
He faces brash businessman Khaltmaa Battulga of the outgoing president's opposition Democratic Party, who is a property tycoon and former head of the judo association.
The third candidate is Sainkhuu Ganbaatar of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party, a former independent who once headed a feng shui practice.
While Enkhbold and Battulga are considered the main contenders, Ganbaatar is expected to garner enough votes to trigger the country's first ever run-off.
Power struggles
Several voters described the campaigns as "dark" and accused the candidates of using smear tactics to distract from real issues.
"Some campaigns focused on negative things and didn't talk about the issues," said Nomuna Gankuyag, a recent graduate of Seoul National University in her 30s and an Enkhbold supporter.
"The biggest problem is that Mongolians don't trust each other. On my Facebook, all I see is fighting. We should be harmonious and civil to each other. We need a president who can unite us." — AFP