Category Archives: Research on Mongolia

How Are We To Think About Rio’s Balancing of Political Risk and Taxation in Light of SOMO Report?

Posted on February 1, 2018 by JDierkes

By Julian Dierkes Rio Tinto’s response to the SOMO report claims that the convoluted corporate structure that has been created for Oyu Tolgoi is not aimed at saving taxes, but rather at reducing investment risk. For as long as Rio … Continue reading →

Posted in International Agreements, JD Mining Governance, Mining, Mining Governance, Oyu Tolgoi, Public Policy, Taxes | Tagged | Leave a comment

Where did the Conspiracy Conspiracy Come From?

Posted on January 21, 2018 by JDierkes

By Julian Dierkes Mongolia is not unique in the presence of conspiracy theories, nor in the presence of events and factors in those events that may lend themselves to conspiracy theories. Yet, in my experience, conspiracy theories have become dominant … Continue reading →

Posted in Corruption, Curios, History, JD Democratization, JD Mining Governance, Party Politics, Politics, Pop Culture, Social Issues, Social Media | Tagged | 1 Comment

6-Year Anniversary and Welcome Marissa Smith

Posted on July 31, 2017 by JDierkes

By Julian Dierkes Unbelievable! We’ve been blogging here for six years now! That means that almost 100,000 users (93,500) have looked at over of a quarter of a million of posts (277,000). They’ve selected among over 480 posts. The most … Continue reading →

Posted in Research on Mongolia, Social Media | 2 Comments

Battulga, What Kind of President?

Posted on July 27, 2017 by JDierkes

By Julian Dierkes Kh Battulga has been elected president. That means the dominance of the president’s office by the DP will continue another four years past Ts Elbegdorj’s two terms. But what kind of president will Battulga be? While the … Continue reading →

Posted in Constitution, Corruption, Democracy, Governance, JD Democratization, Party Politics, Politics, Presidential 2017 | Tagged | 1 Comment

Women Run Mongolian Elections, But They Don’t Run In Them

Posted on July 5, 2017 by JDierkes

By Julian Dierkes When you go to vote in Mongolia, look around in the polling station. Like so many (government) offices, the polling stations are run by women. Yes, every once in a while, there will be a man as … Continue reading →

Posted in Elections, Gender, JD Democratization, Presidential 2017, Social Issues | Tagged | Leave a comment

I Don’t Understand the Calculations Behind Electoral Fraud

Posted on July 5, 2017 by JDierkes

By Julian Dierkes I was shocked during election observation on June 26, again, how much of a contrast there is between the diligence and care with which polling stations and voting procedures are run, and the public perception of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Elections, JD Democratization, Presidential 2017 | Tagged | Leave a comment

The Mechanics of a Blank Ballot

Posted on July 4, 2017 by JDierkes

By Julian Dierkes First, the presidential election campaign was sleepy. Then it turned sleezy. Now, things got exciting because some Mongolians seem to have found a strategy to fight back against two-party dominance and the “offer” of a choice of … Continue reading →

Posted in Governance, JD Democratization, Presidential 2017, Social Movements | Tagged | 1 Comment

Presidential Elections: 3 Things Happened

Posted on June 26, 2017 by JDierkes

By Julian Dierkes The results of the June 26 presidential election has come as a big surprise. I did not expect Battulga to win and certainly did not expect Enkhbold to struggle to finish 2nd. Lots of questions to think … Continue reading →

Posted in JD Democratization, Presidential 2017 | Tagged | 5 Comments

Blank Ballots as Protest

Posted on June 17, 2017 by JDierkes

By Julian Dierkes There does seem to be a significant level of frustration among Mongolian voters about the choices presented to them in this election. With allegations about very serious misconduct (if tape recording of Enkhbold discussing price list for … Continue reading →

Posted in Elections, JD Democratization, Presidential 2017 | Tagged | 1 Comment

Regions, Nutag, & Voter Allegiances in the Presidential Election

Posted on May 23, 2017 by JDierkes

By Julian Dierkes One of the interesting potential dynamics of the presidential campaign and election will be the regional distribution of votes among the three candidates. The Regional Strengths of Political Affiliation Conventional wisdom holds that the Mongolian People’s Party … Continue reading →

Posted in Countryside, Democratic Party, Elections, JD Democratization, Mongolian People's Party, Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party, Party Politics, Politics, Presidential 2017 | Tagged | Leave a comment

M vs Genco

Posted on May 4, 2017 by JDierkes

By Julian Dierkes The MPP has selected its chairman, Enkhbold M, to be nominated as candidate in the June 26 presidential election. The DP appears to have selected Battulga Kh., pending a party congress. One question remains: Will Enkhbayar N … Continue reading →

Posted in Corruption, Democracy, Democratic Party, Elections, Foreign Policy, International Relations, JD Democratization, Mongolia and ..., Mongolian People's Party, Party Politics, Politics, Populism, Presidential 2017, Public Policy | Tagged | 4 Comments

More on Re-Forming the DP

Posted on December 1, 2016 by JDierkes

By Julian Dierkes I recently started thinking about the future of the DP within Mongolian democracy. In that first post, I wrote about DP party unity and a rejuvenation of DP leaders. I want to continue that consideration here, particularly … Continue reading →

Posted in Corruption, Democracy, Democratic Party, Ikh Khural 2016, JD Democratization, Politics, Presidential 2017, Public Policy, Public Service | Tagged | Leave a comment

Mongolia – Rich in Governance Models

Posted on November 2, 2016 by JDierkes

By Julian Dierkes These days, the optimism regarding Mongolia’s development (economic, political, social) has turned into a disappointed consternation, “how could things go so wrong?”. Of course, the answer is mostly a domestic political one, but is also linked to … Continue reading →

Posted in Development, JD Mining Governance, Kyrgyz Republic, Mining Governance | Tagged | Leave a comment

Bishkek ICF-CIRDI Workshop “Sound Management of Natural Resources: The State’s Role in the Resource Sector”

Posted on November 1, 2016 by JDierkes

Co-Organized, Funded, and Hosted by: International Cooperation Fund (ICF), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, Global Affairs Canada through the Canadian International Resources and Development Institute, Oslo Governance Centre for Peace, Democracy and Human Rights, and University of Central Asia … Continue reading →

Posted in CIRDI, Development, EITI, International Cooperation Fund, JD Mining Governance, Kyrgyz Republic, Mining, Mining Governance, Mongolia and ..., Myanmar, Timor Leste | Tagged | Leave a comment

Let’s Imagine a Rosy MPP Future

Posted on September 25, 2016 by JDierkes

By Julian Dierkes Just a quick reminder that I don’t dabble in Mongolian (party) politics, I just try to analyze political development, including parties and elections. In these analyses I try to stay as neutral and detached as I can. … Continue reading →

Posted in Corruption, Ikh Khural 2016, Inequality, JD Democratization, Mongolian People's Party, Party Politics, Policy, Politics, Public Policy, Public Service, Younger Mongolians | Tagged | 2 Comments