As the dust began to fall over Mongolia’s elections last month, the free-market advocate, Tsakhia Elbedgorj, lost his post as president, and the majority of parliamentary seats went to the Democratic party. Whether this party, along with another grouping led by former president Nambar Enkhbayar, will now introduce further part-nationalisation of the country’s mining industry is not yet clear. The issue has long divided Mongolian politicians, as successive governments tussled with the dilemma of retaining foreign investment while also wresting an increased share of profits from overseas companies. Mr Enkhbayar is on record as demanding revision of several major foreign mining contracts in favour of the state – particularly that for the Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold project, now majority-owned by Rio Tinto.
See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=11810.