Tsakhiagiyn Elbegdorj
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Tsakhiagiyn Elbegdorj (or Elbegdorj Tsakhia) (mong. Цахиагийн Элбэгдорж, usually just Elbegdorj) (born March 30, 1963) is one of the 13 leaders of the peaceful revolution that ended nearly 75 years of communist rule in 1989 and created an open democratic society in Mongolia. Elbegdorj has been the Prime Minister of Mongolia twice, the Vice Speaker of Parliament once, the Majority Leader of the Parliament once, and the Member of Parliament three times. He is known as a pro-democracy, libertarian politician.
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[edit] Early life and education
Elbegdorj (referred to by his first name according to Mongolian practice) was born as the eighth and youngest child to Mongol Tsakhia and Khoninkhuu in Zereg sum (village), Hovd province, Mongolia. Elbegdorj's parents were herders as majority of the Mongolian population at that time, and Elbegdorj was growing up playing with and caring for kids (baby goats), lambs, calves, and foals, and loved horse racing with other children. According to Zereg sum's locals, Elbegdorj's mother Khoninkhuu is a well known folkteller and orator in Zereg, and every young person from the village or nearby villages loved to come to Elbegdorj's home before going to the army or distant places to listen to Khoninkhuu's wise words. Elbegdorj's mother taught him to love nature and environment from very young age.
Elbegdorj completed primary and secondary schools with Summa Cum Laude in Zereg sum, Hovd Province. When Elbegdorj was 16, his family moved to Erdenet city and Elbegdorj finished Erdenet city's High School with Summa Cum Laude in 1981. During socialist time, all enrollment rights to universities were allocated from the Central Planning Committee of Mongolia for each profession. Elbegdorj wanted to study journalism, but no enrollment share for journalism came to Erdenet City in that year. Determined to become a journalist, Elbegdorj waited until next year's enrollment. While waiting, to help his elderly parents Elbegdorj began to work at Erdenet Copper-Molibdenium Industry as temp and then became a repairer and soon afterwards promoted to a machinist position. During the work, he received an obligatory army call and went to the army. While serving in the army, Elbegdorj performed well and wrote poems which were published in the army newspaper Ulaan Od. Elbegdorj's poems in the newspaper were seen by high ranking officials at the Ministry of Defense and they called Elbegdorj to the ministry and tested him. As a result Elbegdorj won one out of only two slots that came to the Ministry of Defense for enrollment to the Military Political Institute of the USSR.
Elbegdorj graduated from the Military Political Institute, Lvov, in the former USSR with a B.A. in military journalism, Summa Cum Laude in 1988. He graduated from University of Colorado at Boulder's Economic Institute. Then Elbegdorj studied with a full scholarship from Harvard University and graduated from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government with a Master of Public Administration (MPA) in 2002.
[edit] Democratic movement
Elbegdorj Tsakhia is one of the first pro-democracy activists who risked their lives and who organized rallies, demonstrations, led people, protested, and helped to bring about an end to the communist government of Mongolia in a non-violent way in 1989. Elbegdorj’s main criticisms of the communist government were that a democratic society, freedom of speech and a free market economy would be better for Mongolia, and the communist government was not supportive of these concepts. Because of Elbegdorj and the other leaders of the Mongolian anticommunist revolution, Mongolia became the first democratic country in Central Asia. International intellectuals and mass media acclaim and refer to Elbegdorj as "Mongolia's Thomas Jefferson. "[1]
When giving a speech at Mongolian Youth Organization's Congress, in the end of his speech, Elbegdorj said that Mongolia needed democracy and appealed youth to collaborate together for establishing democracy in Mongolia. The chairman of the congress stopped Elbegdorj's speech and warned him that Elbegdorj could not say such things. It was 1989 and Mongolia was already a communist country for one generation - 68 years and it is alleged that one out of two people were unofficial spy of communist party Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) that would oppress people who express different opinions than socialism and communism. During the break of the congress, two young people met Elbegdorj and the three agreed to establish democratic movement and to spread the word secretly to young people. The three with other ten later became known as the thirteen leaders of Mongolia's democratic revolution.
At that time, Elbegdorj was a correspondent of Ulaan Od (Red Star) military newspaper and when he came back to work after the youth congress, the word of the Youth Congress' chairman about Elbegdorj's "wrongdoing" at the congress already reached the newspaper. The director of the newspaper warned Elbegdorj that he would fire Elbegdorj if he would participate in any activities out of work and to do anything out of communist and socialist ideological lines. Mongolian Youth Organization, the only youth organization of that time in Mongolia was a sister organization of MPRP. Despite the warning, Elbegdorj and his friends began to secretly meet with other young people in the circle auditorium of Mongolian National University and discussed about democracy, free market economy and what they knew about the prohibited subjects of that time and began to draft a plan to organize democratic movement. They met many times and brought new friends and new supporters to join them secretly. One night they put ads of their open demonstration in streets.
On the morning of December 10, 1989, the first open pro-democracy demonstration met in front of the Youth Palace in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. As the crowd gathered, Elbegdorj Tsakhia, one of the organizers, took the microphone and publicly announced the establishment of a Mongolian democratic movement. The democratic movement created Democratic Union - Mongolia's first democratic non-governmental organization that Elbegdorj co-founded. The democracy activists organized more and more demonstrations in the face of highly possible personal persecution and oppression from MPRP's Politburo - the executive organization of Mongolia at that time. Mongolians supported the democratic movement to change Mongolia into a democratic society and it became a nationwide wave with branches in every provinces of Mongolia. Democratic movement organized demonstrations, hunger strikes, and teachers and workers organized work strikes in support of democratic movements in many provinces. Eventually with the pressure from all these, the nine member MPRP Politburo agreed to meet democratic movement leaders and to negotiate. Elbegdorj was one of the negotiators and after the negotiation MPRP Politburo chairman Jambyn Batmonh made the decision to relinquish the Politburo and announced it on TV and radio. With the resignation of the Politburo, Mongolia became able to establish a People's Congress and then to adopt its Constitution[2] that guaranteed human rights, democracy and liberty.
[edit] Creating democratic society
Elbegdorj founded Mongolia’s first independent newspaper, “Democracy,” and worked as its Editor-in-Chief in 1990. For his efforts to establish and protect free press, Elbegdorj was awarded the “Star of Press Freedom” by The Association of Mongolian Journalists in 2000.
Upon entering politics, Elbegdorj was elected to the Parliament three times in 1990-2000. He was actively involved in the drafting and adoption of Mongolia’s new Constitution, one that guarantees human rights, democracy and a free market economy.
In addition, Elbegdorj is one the founders of the US-Mongolian joint "Eagle TV", first independent TV established in the country in 1995.
While Chairman of the State Commission on Rehabilitation, Elbegdorj initiated and realized the state apology for the victims and families of more than 37,000 people who were persecuted and massacred by the MPRP governing country during the communist period. He played a key role in the approval of the Rehabilitation Law, which provided rehabilitation, compensation, and recovery from the Stalinist purges and prohibited future violation of human rights.
Furthermore, Elbegdorj founded Mongolia's first Entrepreneurs Association, which helped to privatize livestock to herders and to regain their own property from socialist collectives in 1991. Thanks to livestock privatization, heads of livestock in Mongolia reached more than 30 million in a decade. The number never reached 25 millions during the socialist years of three quarter century.
[edit] Prime Minister Elbegdorj
Elbegdorj Tsakhia is the second person to work as the Prime Minister twice in Mongolian history. Elbegdorj, as the head of the major democratic party, co-led the Democratic Union Coalition to its historic victory in the 1996 parliamentary elections. He served as a Majority Leader of the Parliament in 1996-2000 and a Vice Speaker of the Parliament in 1996-1998.
In April 1998, Elbegdorj became Mongolia’s youngest Prime Minister in recent history. During his term, he made crucial steps in solving the nation’s pressing political, economic, structural and social issues, and firmly continued its open foreign policy. Elbegdorj is one of the initiators of the Law on Press Freedom and he played a key role to pass the law in 1998. Based on the law, another law passed that changed all daily state newspapers into public newspapers without direct control and censorship from the government. For his efforts and contribution in the creation and strengthening of the democratic system in Mongolia, Elbegdorj was awarded the medal “Freedom.” Elbegdorj served as a prime minister during his first term for eight months, until a different member of his party took office in December 1998.
On August 20, 2004, Elbegdorj became a Prime Minister of Mongolia for the second time, at the grand coalition government after an even split voting for the two major contradictory political forces - Democratic Coalition and ex-communist Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) in the parliamentary elections.
In his second term of the government, Elbegdorj proclaimed war against corruption and poverty - the biggest barriers to Mongolia's development. He fought hard against corruption as he said in the opening of the spring session of the parliament on April 8, 2005 "We will identify the causes and then bulldoze the corruption."
President George W. Bush visited Mongolia on November 21, 2005, and made a speech in the State House, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia in front of Mongolian leaders and public in which he praised Mongolia's democracy and the ones who brought the democracy particularly Mongolia's Prime Minister Elbegdorj Tsakhia.[3]
In an interview with NBC News, Elbegdorj said "We (Mongolia) are trying to contribute to the global effort to combat terrorism”.[4] Elbegdorj also cautioned against states taking "draconian measures" against their own populations "in the name of the fight against terrorism." However, Elbegdorj concluded by saying just as former U.S. President John F. Kennedy "became a Berliner" so "after September 11 2001, we all have become New Yorkers" to international NGO leaders and former state leaders at "Global Violence: Crisis and Hope" Assembly of the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations in New York City in October 2001.[5]
Besides Elbegdorj initiated "Green Wall" environmental project to plant trees in barren areas and desert zones to prevent from dust storm and to reduce air pollution.
Additionally, Elbegdorj made a Free Trade Agreement with the European Union and supported domestic industries as well as actively continued open foreign policy. In addition, Elbegdorj reduced excessive regulations, and its related paperwork for licensing and production required for domestic producers. Also he eliminated discrimination created by previous government to domestic companies. He gave "green light" to all domestic companies instead of the few granted for importing necessary factory parts and equipment without customs tax.
Elbegdorj appealed all Mongolian families to take advantage of internet and digital divides for their life and his government worked as a synergy to introduce cheap computers which are affordable to all Mongolian families, and put a goal to help to reduce market price of internet in Mongolia to 1 tugrik. As a result of the work, computers became affordable and common rather than rare luxury as they were until recent in Mongolia.
Likewise Elbegdorj highly reduced unemployment by strongly supporting technical schools, and specialized professions. He improved economy by highest revenue in Mongolian history and began to allocate stipends to all children and considerably increased pensions to seniors. He made English as a second language instead of Russian which was official second language of Mongolia for almost seven decades.
Moreover, Elbegdorj played a crucial role at the initiatives to restore Genghis Khan's established capital Khar Khorum as a cultural and tourist town.
Furthermore, Elbegdorj initiated and submitted a bill with the speaker to the parliament that changed state controlled TV and radio into independent public TV and radio. He drafted a bill which passed as a law that allowed people to make demonstrations and speeches on Sukhbaatar Square - the main square of Mongolia. It was not legally allowed to make demonstration on that square before.
[edit] Second defeat as a party
Elbegdorj was a Democratic Party candidate against Miyeegombo Enkhbold, MPRP candidate for the Parliamentary elections at the 65th Constituency in August 2005.[6] Elbegdorj was a landslide winner for the elections in pre-elections polls according to Sant Maral Foundation and Mongolia's daily newspapers. MPRP made an agreement with Democratic party that Elbegdorj to withdraw his candidacy from the elections to give the MP position to Miyeegombo Enkhbold and MPRP would not withdraw from Elbegdorj's grand coalition government until its term ends. Fulfilling the agreement, Elbegdorj withdrew from his candidacy at the elections which made unpopular Miyeegombo Enkhbold to become a Member of Parliament instead of Elbegdorj.
However, MPRP breached its agreement with Democratic Party and left Elbegdorj's grand coalition government on January 13, 2006, causing the government to collapse and forcing Elbegdorj to resign as prime minister. Tsahim Urtuu Union of Mongolians worldwide made an announcement that the decision violated the Constitution of Mongolia and it is in the process of officially submitting the violation case to Inter-Parliamentary Union and Dr. Temuujin, Professor of Law at National University of Mongolia submitted a similar claim to the Constitutional Court of Mongolia. They consider that the Mongolian Parliament's decision violated Mongolian Constitution's Article 25, Paragraph 1-6 that the Parliament exceeded its power as instead of discussing and deciding the resignation of the grand coalition government's ten MPRP Members who submitted their resignation letter to the parliament, the parliament overthrew Elbegdorj's Government.[7]
In addition, MPRP breached all of its three agreements with Democratic Party for the grand coalition government after the 50, 50% split winning at the 2004 parliamentary elections. Civil movements and Mongolians made many strong protests, rallies, demonstrations against MPRP's decision to overthrow Elbegdorj's Government.[8] MPRP accused Elbegdorj of failing to do enough to combat corruption while critics of the MPRP have suggested the party deliberately precipitated the government's collapse to block official corruption probes that might expose MPRP's own affairs according to Views Wire.[9] USAID report notes that MPRP high ranking officials are deeply involved in corruption.[10] Conversely, Elbegdorj was fighting tough against corruption. [11]
MPRP made the decision to withdraw from the coalition government a day after MPRP leaders met with MPRP appointed Customs Director General Kh.Baatar who was arrested for corruption on spot and who reportedly claimed that MPRP leaders were his key ties in the corruption network. [12] Also the event coincided with the beginning of the financial investigation of various funds of Ulaanbaatar City which was governed by MPRP chairman Miyeegombo Enkhbold for past 7 years and where land related corruption scandal upheaveled.
Elbegdorj made his promise "We (democracy supporters) will come back in many." second time after the MPRP along with four Democratic Party MPs, who were in return awarded ministership positions by MPRP, toppled Elbegdorj's government. Elbegdorj promised it first time in 1994 when he decided to resign from the membership of the Parliament where 70 out of 76 MPs were MPRP members and they were onerously pressuring against Elbegdorj's democratic policies. Elbegdorj fulfilled his promise and led Democratic Party and its Democratic Union Coalition to its victory at the parliamentary elections in 1996.
[edit] Strengthening democratic society
Elbegdorj worked as an advisor to the United Nations’ "Millennium Development Goal" Project in New York City, and Broadcasting Board of Governors in Washington DC respectively in 2003. Elbegdorj is a frequent lecturer at prominent public and private institutions and universities. He spoke at Bellwether Forum, Cato Institute, Georgetown University, Heritage Foundation, Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, The Institute of World Politics, University of Nevada, and National University of Mongolia and in all provincial centers of Mongolia on topics including transitional issues and the new challenges of international security, freedom and development.
Elbegdorj is a member of advisory board of Houston based Bellwether Forum - US professionals' forum on government, politics, and public policy. Also he is a member of director's board of Mongolian Academy of Political Education from 1993, and a permanent member of board of directors of "Young Leader" foundation of Mongolia from 1992.
Elbegdorj actively participates in the international appeal to the (junta) Government of Myanmar to release Burmese democracy activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest and Members of Myanmar Parliament those have been imprisoned since they were elected to the parliament.[13]
Elbegdorj founded Mongolia's Liberty Center, a non-governmental organization advocating human rights, freedom of expression and education in 2000. He supports to establish a place in Mongolia for North Korean refugees who come from North Korea via China to Mongolia and eventually go to South Korea. Elbegdorj said "Mongolia should not push back those refugees who came for freedom from the hell of communism." In September 2003, when 26 North Korean refugees were caught at the Mongolian border, there were disputes over whether to deport them to North Korea.[14]
[edit] Political affiliation
- Elbegdorj has been elected as a chairman of Democratic Party from Democratic Party's Convention on April 1, 2006. Four candidates ran for the elections and in the second round, the highest scored candidates who are coincidentally two of the 13 democracy leaders Elbegdorj and Bat-Uul ran and Elbegdorj won with 57.2% votes according to Mongolia Web. [15]
- Member of the National Counseling Committee of Democratic Party - which conducts parallel policies with western republican parties.
- Chairman of Democratic Union Coalition of Mongolian National Democratic Party and Mongolian Social Democratic Party in 1996-2000.
- Chairman of Mongolian National Democratic Party in 1996-1999.
- Member of General Council of Mongolian National Democratic Party from 1994.
- Leader of Mongolian Democratic Union in 1989-1997.
- Leader of Mongolian Democratic Party since Apr 2006.
[edit] Publication
Elbegdorj Tsakhia's books Trace of Truth Is White and Years of Carrying Burdens were published in Ulaanbaatar in 2000. His 112 articles, 85 speeches, 57 interviews were published in 1985-2002.
- Mongolia: Moving Mountains, Elbegdorj Tsakhia, Washington Post, November 21, 2005.
[edit] Trivia
- Elbegdorj half jokingly said "Genghis Khan wasn't really a bad guy", "he just had bad press" in an interview with Boston Globe. [16]
- Former USSR's Military Political Institute had five year curriculum which included compulsory classes such as theories of Marx, Engels, and Lenin, ideologies of communism and socialism, politics and foreign policies of USSR, trainings of operating all types of military equipment. Despite Elbegdorj excelled in them, he became the initiator and leader of peaceful democratic movement in Mongolia.
- Mongolians call Elbegdorj the Golden Falcon of Democracy, alluding to a bird that comes with spring sunshine after a long, harsh winter.
- Mongolians give importance to naming their children when they are born and Elbegdorj is a combination of two words as Elbeg meaning ample, and dorj meaning transparency that is Elbegdorj means Ample transparency.
- Elbegdorj has seven brothers all of whose names have dorj in their names.
- Elbegdorj is the eighth son of his parents and he himself has four sons.
- Some media refers to Elbegdorj Tsakhia as Tsakhia Elbegdorj and Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj too. In Mongolia, a person's last name is usually, and by default, their father's name. Tsakhia is Elbegdorj's father, and Tsakhiagiyn Elbegdorj literally means Tsakhia's Elbegdorj.
[edit] References
1. ^ Vincent H. Miller, From Communism to Capitalism in the Land of Genghis Khan International Society for Individual Liberty, Spring 2004
3. ^ President Bush's speech in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia White House Press Release, November 21, 2005
4. ^ George Lewis Reporter's Notebook, NBC News, November 16, 2005
5. ^ Excerpt from Elbegdorj's speech at Global Violence: Crisis and Hope Assembly the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations, New York City, October 19-22, 2001
6. ^ B. Bolortuya Seven Candidates Registered, TV 5, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, August 2, 2005
7. ^ Tsahim Urtuu Union's Announcement Tsahimurtuu, in Mongolian language only, February 15, 2006
8. ^ Mongolia MPs vote out government BBC News, January 13, 2006
9. ^ Mongolia's political turmoil Views Wire, January 17, 2006
10. ^ Assessment of Corruption in Mongolia USAID Final Report, Pages 15-16, August 31, 2005
11. ^ Edward Cody Feeling the Squeeze Of China and Russia, Mongolia Courts U.S., Washington Post, February 12, 2006
12. ^ Ch.Sumyabazar Article about Mongolia's Customs chairman arrested for corruption on spot, UB Post - major Mongolian newspaper in English, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 3 November 2005
13. ^Statement Of Senator Mitch McConnell On Resolution Honoring Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, June 16, 2005
14. ^ Asian Human Rights Commission - Urgent Appeals Program, September 19, 2003
15. ^ Luke Distelhorst Ts. Elbegdorj Mongolia's New Democratic Party Leader, Mongolia Web, April 1, 2006
16. ^ Jehangir S. Pocha, Once-feared invader's reputation gets a revival, Mongolians sing praise of Genghis Khan, Boston Globe, July 3, 2005
[edit] Sources
- Mongolia names new prime minister BBC News, August 20, 2004
(About Democratic Coalition won 36 out of 76 seats in parliament and the power sharing agreement, Elbegdorj becomes Prime Minister)
- James Brooke For Mongolians, E Is for English, F Is for Future New York Times, February 15, 2005 (Article on Elbegdorj's government changed second language from Russian into English)
- Elbegdorj speaks on Mongolia's transition to capitalism Hoover Institution, May 20, 2003
- Mongolia elects new leader Bellwether Forum, September 6, 2004
- Matthew Davis Voting Mongolia, World View Magazine Online, Volume 17, Number 4, Fall 2004 (Story on Elbegdorj's party campaigning and Mongolians' voting in 2004)
- It is time to act on Burma, Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma, June 13, 2004
- To move or not to move? (Interview about Elbegdorj's initiation of Karakorum development), UB Post, February 14, 2005
- Mongolian daily newspapers, newspapers in Mongolian language, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 1990-2006
- Daily News of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 1993-2006
[edit] External links
[edit] About Elbegdorj, interviews, and speech
- James Brooke Mongolian PM evolves from journalist to statesman, (About Elbegdorj) New York Times, Page 5, December 26, 2004, [17]
- Stuart Frohm Mongol Khan-Quest, Mackinac Center for Public Policy, September 15, 2004
- Mongolian Prime Minister's remarks, Bellwether Forum, September 9, 2004
- Peter & Helen Evans One Year Toward Freedom - Part 1 (Interview with Elbegdorj), Intellectual Conservative, March 30, 2004
- Peter & Helen Evans One Year Toward Freedom - Part 2 (Interview with Elbegdorj), Renew America, March 29, 2004
- Peter & Helen Evans An Interview with Elbegdorj Tsakhia - Part 3 The Reality Check Online Magazine of Heritage New Media Partners
- One Year Toward Freedom - Part 4 (Interview with Elbegdorj), Peter & Helen Evans, 2004
- Scott Talan Kennedy School Graduate Guides Mongolia into New Era, Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School Press, May 1, 2005
- Letter from President Bush to Prime Minister Elbegdorj, Mongolia Web, December 2005
- Steven Erlanger Albright Finds Unalloyed Love in a Newly Minted Democracy (About Secretary of State Albright and Prime Minister Elbegdorj's joint statement in Ulaanbaatar), New York Times, May 3, 1998
- Support of Aung San Suu Kyi and Democracy in Burma: Elbegdorj Tsakhiagiin, Prime Minister, Mongolia, S6779 US Congressional Record - Senate, May 13, 2004
- Christopher Tremewan About Elbegdorj Lessons in Leadership, New Zealand Listener, Vol 198 No 3385, March 26 - April 1, 2005
- Communism to Democracy: Lessons from Mongolia on the Eve of the Election Campaign (Elbegdorj's talk), Heritage Foundation, May 30, 2003 Webcast of the talk
[edit] News and articles about MPRP's overthrowing of Elbegdorj's government and Mongolians' protest against MPRP decision
- Lulu Zhou Mongolian PM Out of Office Harvard's Crimson - Harvard University's daily newspaper, January 20, 2006
- John J. Tkacik, Jr. Stumble on the Steppes, the Heritage Foundation's Press Room, January 21, 2006
- Eve Johnson New government, protests on horizon in Mongolia, Reuters, January 17, 2006
- Irja Halasz Mongolia PM: power struggle is poisonous Reuters, January 13, 2006
- Sumya Bazar Unrest in Mongolia as coalition govt disintegrates Mail and Guardian, January 12, 2006
- Mongolians urge government to stay, Al Jazeera, January 12, 2006
[edit] Elbegdorj's preparation for next battle for future of Mongolia
- Reed: Perhaps E.B. will return to power Midland News, January 17, 2006
[edit] Organizations
- Liberty Center A Mongolian non-government organization founded by Elbegdorj.
