Democratic Party, MPRP Consider Top Party Job

UNCLAS ULAANBAATAR 000148 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PINR MG SUBJECT: Democratic Party, MPRP Consider Top Party Job Choices ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: On February 27, both the Democratic Party (DP) and MPRP made decisions on key party jobs. The MPRP chose Party Secretary Yo. Otgonbayar as the new MPRP party chief for the capital. With one third of the total party membership, the Ulaanbaatar post has high visibility, and may serve as a stepping stone for the ambitious Otgonbayar. A meeting of the DP's National Consultative Council on February 27 declined to immediately accept R. Gonchigdorj's resignation as party head. While recently-ousted Prime Minister Ts. Elbegdorj remains positioned to take over from Gonchigdorj, the switch will wait until a special session of the DP party congress is held at the end of March. Installing Elbegdorj immediately had threatened to further split the party. END SUMMARY. MPRP Makes Long-Delayed Choice of UB Party Head -------------- -- ¶2. (SBU) The UB MPRP party head position has been vacant since early October, when M. Enkhbold resigned as both mayor and city party chief to take up the parliamentary seat he had won in an August by-election. The capital has one-third of the MPRP's members, making the job as city party head highly-visible, and a possible stepping stone to national leadership. In September, the MPRP's party newspaper "Unen" chronicled the argument of the incipient party wing that the new mayor should not also serve as city party head. The wing argued that MPRP internal democracy would be served by an open contest for the party job -- and that the wing head O. Enkhtuvshin, an MP and member of the MPRP Steering Council, was the best man for the position. Amid reports that Enkhbold was pushing for new UB Mayor Ts. Batbayar, his protege, to also serve as party head, the job remained vacant. Enkhtuvshin's surprise decision at the end of January to accept a position in Enkhbold's new Cabinet removed him personally from the competition. ¶3. (SBU) As the 85th anniversary of the MPRP in Ulaanbaatar approached, there recently has been renewed attention to filling the vacant party job. After lengthy discussions on February 25, the MPRP Steering Council put forward two candidates: party Secretary Yo. Otgonbayar and party wing candidate Kh. Balsandorj. The Ulaanbaatar city MPRP hural met on Sunday evening to make a decision, with two-thirds of the body opting at 1 AM for Otgonbayar. (Comment: The ambitious Otgonbayar likely will try to make full use of the visible job to advance his position in the party. A businessman, and former foreign policy advisor to then PM Enkhbayar, Otgonbayar was educated in Russia and India, and speaks fluent English.) Democratic Party Delays Choice on Next Party Head -------------- -------------- ¶4. (U) A meeting of the DP's National Consultative Council on February 27 declined to immediately accept party chairman R. Gonchigdorj's resignation. Gonchigdorj explained that he wished to step down to accept responsibility for the fall of the Grand Coalition government with the MPRP. The DP constitution allows two bodies to choose the party head: the 1000-member party congress; or the 250- member National Consultative Council, subject to confirmation by the next party congress. While reports had been that the National Consultative Council would accept Gonchigdorj's resignation and immediately vote on his replacement -- with recently-ousted Prime Minister Ts. Elbegdorj as the likely choice -- the body opted instead to convene a special party congress to make the decision. The party congress will meet on March 30-31. ¶5. (SBU) On February 24, the Ambassador hosted a lunch for Gonchigdorj, Elbegdorj, and DP MP E. Bat-Uul. During the lunch, Elbegdorj remained coy on a bid for the top party job, saying that he still hoped to convince Gonchigdorj to stay on, and opining (as he had in press interviews last week) that the most important thing is that the DP should be a strong, united force. Nevertheless, he clearly seemed to expect to become party head soon. When MP Bat-Uul (who is slated to be the shadow government's "Prime Minister") stated his view that the next DP head should be chosen at a party congress after a competition, Elbegdorj acknowledged the position that an endorsement by the party congress would give the new chairman more solid, grassroots support. However, he expressed concern that, if a competitive race develops, this will lead to further party division. Elbegdorj said that, if he becomes party head, he will seek to boost the party's efforts among women and youth, and would reach out to the three separate movements urging party reform. Convening a special party congress has been among the demands of the reform movement leaders, who have opined that it would be improper for the National Consultative Council to install a new party head. ¶6. (SBU) Comment: Deferring the choice of Gonchigdorj's replacement averted an immediate further split in the Democratic Party. However, the party likely will remain in flux for some time. While Elbegdorj likely will be a popular choice to take over party leadership, the next month may see maneuvering by other party groups, including those close to M. Enkhsaikhan, who broke with the party to join the MPRP- led government. Last week, following his expulsion from the DP, Enkhsaikhan said he would set up the "Democracy and Justice Party," and issued an open appeal to other Democrats to join him. Of the party's original 28 MPs, four voted with Enkhsaikhan to bring down Elbegdorj's government, and another 17 made an unsuccessful last-minute bid to join in the new MPRP- led government. That is a rather sobering situation for the DP, as it prepares to form a shadow government with the Civic Will Party. Elbegdorj seemed rested and full of energy and plans on February 24; he may need all of that energy as he readies the party for the 2008 elections. SLUTZ