Public protest against corruption can lead to change – Mongolia

Though most of us won’t be paying attention, this is one more positive example of how public frustration can lead to positive regime change, without violence through public protest.  Al Jazeera  reported that there have been constant allegations against the Prime Minister, “Public frustration has been boiling over regarding the lavish lifestyle of the prime minister’s family, leading to persistent demonstrations in the capital, Ulaanbaatar.” And, though we haven’t heard much about this, there have been concern during the four years Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene, due to his family’s lavish lifestyles as well as wealthy elites hoarding profits of a coal mining boom, none of which was reflected in the lives of the average person.

What is reassuring was that the prime minister did not dig in and he accepted the fact that he lost the vote of confidence. As noted, this was after weeks of anticorruption protests, which demonstrates the importance of organized and clear protest. This is positive and exciting, but nobody should be complacent.

What needs to be done next? As a positive non-violent outcome, the forces that led to this outcome, as well as the parliament members who were voting for the prime minister’s ouster, should not simply cheer and move on. This is an opportunity on the part of government and civil society to move forward and determine what the next steps should be. This is the time when public expectations will be very high, and opportunities will exist. Let’s hope that the Mongolian government and civil society will make the best of this time.

Link:

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/3/mongolian-pm-ousted-amid-corruption-protests