Mongolia Political Instability Analysis: PM Zandanshatar Consolidates Power as Party Congress Nears

Reinstated prime minister turns survival into dominance—but political legitimacy questions linger.

When the parliament voted on October 17 to oust Prime Minister Gombojavyn Zandanshatar, few expected him to return within a week. Yet the Constitutional Court’s October 22 ruling nullified the vote, and he was back in the prime minister’s seat.

President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh’s October 20 veto had already declared the no-confidence motion invalid for quorum violations, aligning the presidency with Zandanshatar’s narrative of constitutional defense. To allies of former Speaker Dashzegviin Amarbayasgalan, the move looked like a choreographed rescue.

The court's later finding of procedureal flaws lent the episode a political undertone. What began as a parliamentary ambush ended as constitutional rebuke.

Within days, Zandanshatar moved to reshuffle his cabinet and secure the bureaucracy.

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