President expresses concern over nominations
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| President Ts.Elbegdorj meets with Prime Minister S.Batbold and the ministerial nominees to assure government priorities are met |
As reported, the DP decided to quit the joint government. This decision was discussed and supported at the NCC meeting. On January 12, six DP ministers who worked in the government presented Prime Minister S.Batbold with their request to be released from their present positions. MPP is the majority in parliament and faces the task of appointing new ministers to form the cabinet. In order to save time and proceed with work normally, the Prime Minister and leader of the MPP S.Batbold urgently introduced the question of appointing new cabinet ministers to the Governing Council of MPP.
The Governing Council of the MPP decided to appoint half of the ministers from parliament and the other half from outside. Under this circumstance, the MPP group in parliament met on January 16 to introduce the following three nominations for ministerial posts from within parliament. Ch.Ulaan, S.Byambatsogt and D.Hayanhyarvaa were nominated for the post of Finance Minister. With a majority voice, candidature D.Hayanhyarvaa was supported. Ts.Dashdorj, N.Ganbyamba, R.Bud, H.Badamsuren and H.Badelham were named for the post of Road, Transportation, Construction and Urban Development Minister. Ts. Dashdorj won the nomination. Competing for the post of Defense Minister were Ts.Batbayar and J.Enkhbayar. As they got equal votes in the MPP group in parliament, nomination to this post was reconsidered at the MPP Governing Council, with more support to J.Enkhbayar The PM’s proposal of candidates to the post of First Deputy Premier, Health Minister and Minister of Nature, Environment and Tourism was supported by the MPP Governing Council. Proposed for the First Deputy PM was MPP General Secretary, U.Hurelsukh; for Health Minister, state secretary N.Khurelbaatar; and for Minister of Nature, Environment and Tourism former state secretary the of foreign ministry, D.Tsogtbaatar.
On January 13, President Ts.Elbegdorj received the Prime Minister to express his position regarding the replacement of the six outgoing DP ministers in the cabinet and to give instructions on some urgent issues. “The posts of the First Deputy Prime Minister and deputy ministers are not necessary.
Cutting these posts will save money and staff. More than once we talked about the need to appoint ministers from outside Parliament rather than from among the MPs. We must hear and accept claims and criticism that the parliament’s mechanism on government responsibility is losing. The Constitution rejects the possibility for one subject enjoying double power – executive and legislative” declared President Ts.Elbejdorj.
On January 17, Prime Minister S.Batbold submitted his proposals on the new appointments to the President. Meeting with journalists, he also explained his position to keep the cabinet structure intact. The PM reassured his intention to fulfill the duties facing the MPP regardless of the Democratic Party leaving the joint
government. “From the beginning, Parliament approved the structure and the staff that was agreed to for implementing the targets forwarded in the program. These targets remained and the MPP will work to implement them. We are facing the most responsible period for implementation of our goals; and therefore, the cabinet structure should not be changed,” said the Prime Minister. “This time we decided not to touch staff reduction, this could be done after the election when new goals and new tasks are faced”, said the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister was confident in the candidates who were promoted to the positions. He characterized them as experienced and best MPP personnel. He supported the naming of the MPP general secretary for the First Deputy Prime Minister because state and government activity is a keynote goal and MPP personnel must not be mobilized for party activity, but for state and government activities. “This was the reason for my choice”, said S.Batbold. “Appointing the party’s best personnel, including the MPP General Secretary into the government is very important. The people who were nominated to ministerial posts have served the state for 12-25 years; these are people experienced and skillful in administrative, political, professional fields”, he added.
On January 18, the President met with the six outgoing ministers, with the new candidates, and the Prime Minister. The outgoing ministers must report about their work and the question of releasing them from their posts must be resolved in parliament. Only then can the appointment of new ministers be discussed, said the President.
President Elbegdorj said that everybody knows how the joint government was formed and this is why the ministers who are leaving the cabinet need to report to people about what they accomplished. The President requested the PM to explain the appointment of three ministers from parliament despite talks to not appoint MPs to the cabinet. He said it would be an important step to correct the supervising mechanism of parliament over government activity which is not perfectly working today.
“There is no more important power than legislating power, said the President. MPs must do their jobs drafting and passing laws and must not be mixed with the double executive duties of cabinet members. It is not banned by law, but it needs to be practiced in life, said President Ts.Elbegdorj.
The President ended the meeting saying that on January 19-23, he plans to have a working visit to the Oyu Tolgoi and Tavan Tolgoi mines and suggested Parliament to discuss and make its decission on the issue of releasing the six DP ministers while his absence. The President underlined that appointment of new ministers must be discussed after DP ministers’ release had finalized according to relevant laws.
On the evening of 19 January, Government submitted a draft resolution to Parliament on releasing the six ministers from their posts.
Source: THE MONGOL MESSENGER
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