Politics Heat Up as FALL Session Begins
The autumn session of the State Great Khural, Mongolia’s Parliament, has officially opened. This is the third session of the 126-member legislature. The first major item on the agenda will be the approval of the 2026 state budget. During the previous session, the budget debate stirred significant controversy, leading even the President to exercise a veto. In order to approve the budget within the legal timeframe, ensure the uninterrupted operation of the government, and keep the process open and transparent, the session has been convened two weeks earlier than usual.
On another note, Speaker D.Amarbayasgalan has criticized the government’s draft laws on taxation and social insurance, calling them “overly cosmetic” in nature. He announced that these bills would be debated and resolved in Parliament, a statement that has drawn considerable public attention.
The autumn session also begins in a heated political atmosphere. The main opposition, the Democratic Party, which holds 42 seats in Parliament, has elected a new chairman. Meanwhile, within the ruling Mongolian People’s Party, both the Speaker and the Prime Minister are competing for party leadership.
Speaker Amarbaysgalan and PM Zandanshatar Face Off for Ruling Party Leadership
His sharp and determined announcement has set the tone for this autumn’s political season. The ruling Mongolian People’s Party (MPP) is expected to convene its party conference this week, where the leadership issue will be raised. Having led the party to victory in the last election, L.Oyun-Erdene recently stepped down as Prime Minister after losing confidence both within the party and in Parliament. He had been preparing to hand over the party seal and leadership at the conference.
Speaker D.Amarbayasgalan, meanwhile, holds a unique position in the party’s history. He is the longest-serving Secretary General in the MPP’s more than 100 years of existence. Under his leadership, the party secured three consecutive parliamentary election victories, underscoring his influence and political capital. After serving as Chief of Cabinet Secretariat in the previous government, he became Speaker of Parliament last year. Announcing his candidacy, he emphasized that he was running for the chairmanship with the goal of ensuring “rule by law, not by individuals” in Mongolia. It is also clear that L.Oyun-Erdene’s faction does not want to lose its influence within the party.
His main rival will be the current Prime Minister, G.Zandanshatar. According to the party’s internal rules, the party chair also serves as Prime Minister, but he intends to pursue the reverse—first securing the prime ministership, then the chairmanship. Like Amarbayasgalan, Zandanshatar has twice served as Speaker of Parliament and has overseen two rounds of constitutional amendments. Despite his party’s unexpected loss in the 2024 parliamentary elections, he was appointed Chief of Staff to the President’s Office and later elected as Prime Minister. It is no secret that President U.Khurelsukh strongly supports him.
Observers have described the leadership race as a generational contest. In other words, it is a struggle for power between those born in the 1970s and 1980s. The outcome will be crucial, shaping not only the 2027 presidential election but also the 2028 parliamentary elections. However, the situation has shifted. The contest now raises deeper questions about whether the government will remain stable and whether Parliament will even keep its current Speaker.
