AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH PRESIDENT ENKHBAYAR

C O N F I D E N T I A L ULAANBAATAR 000341


STATE FOR EAP/CM, PM, AND NEA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/10/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON MARR IZ MG
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH PRESIDENT ENKHBAYAR
DISCUSSES ELECTION RESOLUTION AND 10TH ROTATION IN IRAQ

Classified By: Ambassador Mark C. Minton. Reasons 1.4 (B) and (C)


1. (C) SUMMARY: The Ambassador called on President Enkhbayar
on July 10 to deliver President Bush,s national day message
(reftel) and to seek President Enkhbayar,s views regarding
recent political upheaval in Mongolia and the planned
duration of Mongolia,s 10th troop rotation in Iraq.
Enkhbayar stressed the need for the political parties to
achieve a solution to the crisis and to follow the election
laws. He suggested that he would formally receive the
General Election Commission,s (GEC) final results of the
June 29 parliamentary election on July 14, and he hoped fewer
than 19 of the 76 seats would be contested, allowing a new
government to be formed with the minimum quorum of 57 MPs
present. He noted the Government was not well-prepared for
the outbreak of election violence; he had delayed as long as
possible his decision to call a state of emergency.
Regarding Mongolia,s 10th troop rotation in Iraq, Enkhbayar
said that he understood the U.S. Government would wish to
discuss arrangements under which the Mongolian contingent
could remain at Camp Echo, with another partner, after the
expected withdrawal of the Poles in October. END SUMMARY.

POLITICAL SOLUTION NEEDED TO ELECTION DILEMMA
--------------


2. (C) President Enkhbayar said he hoped to avoid two
extremes - either calling the election a complete fraud and
revoting or insisting that no adjustments could be made. He
said election laws should be followed and he had urged the
political parties to confer and work together for a
resolution of the electoral process. The parties could not
make extra constitutional demands of the General Election
Commission, but they could submit complaints with documents
and materials demonstrating that something was not done
correctly. Mistakes could be corrected. However, leaders of
different political parties should review all allegations of
irregularities, not just those whose correction would help
their own parties.

57 OF 76 MPS MUST BE PRESENT TO FORM NEW PARLIAMENT
-------------- --------------


3. (C) On July 14, the GEC, according to the Election Law,
should give the official election results to the President,
and the President then had fifteen days, or until July 29, to
convene the new session of parliament. President Enkhbayar
had asked the parties to work together to find a resolution
by this time. He said that until issues were resolved, he
would do his best to persuade the parties to cooperate.
According to the constitution, a minimum initial quorum of 57
members present was required to form a legitimate parliament;
Enkhbayar believed that the GEC could submit at least 57
names. Above 57, the 19 remaining seats could remain
disputed, but it was up to the parties to substantiate their
claims of fraud.

PERSONAL HISTORICAL EXPERIENCE:
PUT COUNTRY ABOVE POLITICS
--------------


4. (C) President Enkhbayar noted that in 2004 a similar
dispute occurred. At that time he was leader of the
Mongolian People,s Revolutionary Party (MPRP),and believed
there was much fraud during that polling process then as
well. He had to decide whether to protest, which would have
divided the country, or to accept the results and form the
parliament with officials from opposing parties he believed
to be &cheaters8. He was not very happy, he said, but
thought it best to seek a political solution in forming the
parliament rather than divide the country through protests.
Now, parties could challenge as many seats as they desired,
but they must understand that the country will be stuck, and
waging an on-going dispute would prove fruitless and damaging
to all interests.

ENKHBAYAR DELAYED CALLING STATE OF EMERGENY
--------------


5. (C) The President said he delayed declaring a State of
Emergency (SOE) until absolutely necessary, and it was the
last thing he wanted to do. The Acting Chief of Police was
apparently cautious about managing the rioting as it unfolded
the night of July 1. But when President Enkhbayar called him
at 8pm that evening, with the knowledge that Prime Minister
Bayar supported SOE implementation, the Acting Chief of
Police advised the President against it, confident that the
demonstration would quiet down. Two hours later, however,
the official informed the President that he was withdrawing
his forces from guarding the MPRP headquarters ) because the
building destroyed by fire. At that point, Enkhbayar said
the he had no choice but to take extraordinary, but prudent
action.

POLITICAL PARTIES SELFISH, DODGE RESPONSIBILITY
-------------- --


6. (C) President Enkhbayar was, he said, ashamed of the
political parties, and their failure or inability to deflate
the protests and control their followers as the violence
mounted. Harsh words among the parties, he thought, should
have been saved for later, and not used as incendiaries while
the people were demonstrating outside. He said the parties,
election committees, and institutions don,t think about
responsibility, but only their freedoms ) the freedom to
throw rocks, to kill, to threaten. But nobody assumes the
responsibility for stopping the situation.

GOM NOT PREPARED FOR EMERGENCY;
NO TRADITION OF ACCOMODATION
--------------


7. (C) The President also commented on the lack of a legal
framework and its utility during the State of Emergency. For
example, the special budget provided in such circumstances
required parliament,s approval; yet this parliament
quarreled and refused to hold a session, leaving the special
budget unendorsed. Enkhbayar commented that perhaps such
disputes stem from Mongolia,s nomadic heritage: if neighbors
disagree with each other, one family can simply move away.
In Europe and America, however, houses are stationary and the
fences between neighbors don,t divide people. In Europe and
America, the more disagreeing parties engage in dialogue, the
more likely they are to produce a better solution and to find
common ground. In Mongolia, the more people talk, the deeper
are the divisions that separate them.

WOUNDS NEED SALVE NOT SALT; COUNTRY NEEDS SOLUTIONS
-------------- --------------


8. (C) President Enkhbayar said recent events had been
traumatic for the whole country and society, and that now was
the time to heal - not to put salt on the wounds. He never
imagined as President he would have had to declare a State of
Emergency. Perhaps U.S. NGOs such as the International
Republic Institute (IRI) or the National Democratic Institute
(NDI) or other such institutions had suggestions and advice
on how to address the political situation. The next
elections had to be conducted well and transparently, and
parliament and political parties would have to be more
responsible. (Note: Province and local elections are
tentatively set for October 2008, and the Presidential
election is planned for May 2009. End Note.)

NEW GOVERNMENT COULD CONSIDER
FULL 10TH IRAQ TROOP ROTATION
--------------


9. (C) With regard to the 10th rotation of Mongolian troops
in Iraq protecting Polish forces at Camp Echo, President
Enkhbayar noted that he was told by the Foreign and Defense
Ministers that, as was agreed in the Mongolian/Polish
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU),once the Polish troops
withdrew (in mid-October),the Mongolian contingent would
withdraw as well. However, after the government was seated
and the new cabinet formed, he understood that the U.S.
Government would wish to discuss arrangements under which the
Mongolian contingent might continue serving at Camp Echo,
with a different partner, after the Polish withdrawal and
until the end of the tenth rotation. The Ambassador replied
that he was sure the U.S. would want to discuss arrangements
for such a continuation of the Mongolian deployment.


MINTON