Mongolia – Democratic Party parliamentarians go on hunger strike over presidential candidacy dispute

On May 5, seven parliament members of the Ikh Khural State staged a hunger strike in front of the government’s state palace in Ulaanbaatar. The seven legislators are Democratic Party representatives who support former Prime Minister Altankhuyag Norov as their party’s candidate to represent the party for the Presidency. The parliament members went on strike in response to the national election commission’s decision to accept their opposing faction’s nominee, Erdene Sodnomzundui, from their party as the legitimate candidate who will represent the party in the upcoming Presidential election on June 9. Today, Saturday, supporters of Altankhuyag demonstrated in solidarity with Altankhuyag’s plea, and with the MPs who perform a hunger strike.