Mongolian parliament elects new prime minister

Mongolia’s parliament confirmed the nomination of motorbike enthusiast Ukhnaa Khurelsukh as prime minister on Wednesday, putting the country back on track to receive funds from a $5.5 billion IMF economic rescue package, Voice of America reported. 

Ukhnaa Khurelsukh, a member of the ruling Mongolia People's Party, was unanimously elected to succeed Jargaltulga Erdenebat, who was ousted in early September amid corruption allegations.

The 49-year-old Khurelsukh is taking over a government that has undergone numerous changes in leadership since transitioning from a satellite state of the former Soviet Union to a full-fledged democracy in 1990. No prime minister has completed a full-four year term since 2000.

Best known as the birthplace of the Mongol emperor Genghis Khan, mineral-rich Mongolia is courted heavily by neighboring China, thanks to its growing demand for coal. The landlocked country is situated along the corridor of the Chinese-proposed “silk road,” an initiative China has sought to expand trade with other countries.

Source: MENA