Улаанбаатар
Speaker receives U.S. Congress delegation
PoliticsUlaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ Chairman of the State Great Khural (Parliament) of Mongolia Z.Enkhbold received an extended delegation of the U.S. Congress, headed by congressman Mr Peter Roskam, the chairman of House Democracy Partnership on May 29.
Mr Enkhbold wished the guests a pleasant stay in Mongolia and recalled the 2011 visit of a delegation led by a former congressmen Mr David Dreier, regarding the Promoting democracy program.
He remarked that the USA has been showing consistent support for democracy in Mongolia since the beginning of it, as Mongolia considers the US as its “third neighbor”.
In response, Mr Roskam thanked for the Speaker’s time and noted that the US appreciates Mongolia’s democracy as it acts as the role model for newl and retored democracies. “We are paying a visit with an extended representation this time in order to deepen the inter-parliamentary ties”, he said.
The sides also exchanged opinions and shared information on the transparency and accountability of the legislatures.
Mongolia had been ranking at bottom, above 100, by Transparency International’s corruption index until the last few years, when the country had improved its rank up to 72nd place, spoke the SGK Chairman.
Mr Jim McDermott, a member of US Congress, asked the Mongolian speaker to explain the complex issue, regarding the former president of Mongolia N.Enkhbayar, who served corruption-related sentence, of his recently commenced hunger strike along with 17 members of his party, demanding ensuring elective right for the parliamentary elections.
“This is connected to the concept of ‘term of conviction being considered effective’ after serving the penalty, according to the Criminal Code of Mongolia. The renewed criminal code, which eliminated the concept, will not take effect until September 1. Chairman of the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party (MPRP) N.Enkhbayar views that his term has been cancelled as he has been pardoned in accordance with the Amnesty Law”, said Mr Z.Enkhbold.
“I consider that one’s right to elect or to be elected is a subject of people’s power, not of police”, he underlined.
Present were also, vice speaker and the head of Mongolia-US caucus in the State Great Khural R.Gonchigdorj MP, the deputy head Ts.Tsolmon MP, members D.Lundeejantsan and N.Enkhbold, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs D.Gankhuayg and Ambassador of Mongolia to the USA B.Altangerel.
