Chamber:
	Ulsyn Ikh Khural
Dates of elections / renewal (from/to):
	30 June 1996
Purpose of elections:
	Elections were held for all the seats in Parliament on the normal expiry of the members' term of office.
Background and outcome of elections:
	The 1996 elections were the second since a multi-party Electoral Law was promulgated in 1990. In January 1992, a Constitution endorsing the new pluralist system and providing for the present parliamentary set-up was adopted. Five months later, the ex-communist Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) won in a landslide over a scattering of poorly organised opposition parties. As in 1992, campaign issues primarily concerned the country's ailing economy, marked by high unemployment and inflation rates that resulted in low living standards and widespread impoverishment. This time around, though, the MPRP's opposition was united in the Democratic Union coalition led by the National Democratic and Social Democratic parties, and led by Mr. Mendsaihan Enkhsaikhan. This alliance called for faster economic liberalisation and political reform. Altogether 302 candidates (267 party/coalition members and 35 independents) were in contention. On a generally calm polling day, the opposition forces scored a dramatic victory, thus ending 75 years of rule by communist parties and their heirs. While the MPRP lost 47 of its 70 Hural seats, the National Democrats supplanted it as the leading party with 33. The Social Democrats, led by Mr. R. Gonchigdorj, for their part collected 12 seats, allowing the coalition as a whole to arrive at 50. Much of the voting pattern was reportedly split along age lines, older citizens favouring the MPRP and younger ones its opponents. The 44 international observers from 11 countries deemed the voting procedure free and fair. On 19 July, the newly elected Hural elected Mr. Enkhsaikhan as Prime Minister and entrusted him with forming a new Government, whose composition it approved on 30 July. The President of the Republic is Mr. P. Ochirbat, formerly of the MPRP but supported as from 1993 by the Opposition.

STATISTICS

Round no 1 (30 June 1996): Elections results
Number of registered electors	1,147,260
Voters	1,014,031 (88.38%)
Blank or invalid ballot papers	3,874
Valid votes	1,010,157

Round no 1: Distribution of votes
Political Group	Candidates	Votes	%
Democratic Union Coalition	74	475,267	45
Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP)	76	408,977	39
Mongolian Traditional United Party	17	15,810	1

Round no 1: Distribution of seats
Political Group	Total	Gain/Loss
Democratic Union Coalition	50	+45
Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP)	25	-45
Mongolian Traditional United Party	1	+1

Comments:
	The Democratic Union Coalition is formed by: Mongolian National Democratic Party (MNDP): 33 seats Mongolian Social Democratic Party (MSDN): 12 seats Others: 5 seats

Distribution of seats according to sex:
Men:	70
Women:	6

Distribution of seats according to age:
25-35 years	21
36-45 years	39
46 and over years	16
Distribution of seats according to profession:
Economists	25
Teachers	15
Engineers	10
Lawyers	9
Journalists	4
Physicists, Mathematicians	3
Others	10