In a dramatic turn of events on October 17, 2025, Mongolia’s political landscape was thrown into turmoil as the country’s parliament voted to oust Prime Minister Zandanshatar Gombojav after just four months in office. The move, which unfolded in front of a nation already grappling with labor unrest and a looming budget crisis, has exposed deep rifts within the ruling Mongolian People’s Party and left the country’s leadership in a state of uncertainty.
According to the Associated Press, the parliamentary vote came as the culmination of an unusually public and bitter power struggle between Zandanshatar and his chief rival, Amarbayasgalan Dashzegve, the speaker of parliament. The conflict, simmering for months, reached a boiling point after Zandanshatar lost a key party leadership contest to Amarbayasgalan—a defeat that set the stage for a series of political maneuvers, accusations, and ultimately, the prime minister’s ouster.
The resolution that sealed Zandanshatar’s fate was described as "controversially worded," reflecting the contentious and divisive atmosphere inside Mongolia’s 126-member legislative body. The process itself was marked by a series of delays and procedural twists. On October 16, some supporters of the embattled prime minister boycotted the session, effectively denying the parliament the quorum needed to proceed with the vote and buying Zandanshatar a brief reprieve.
But the following day, the full parliament was called to decide whether to support the earlier committee decision that had voted against dismissing the prime minister. In a quirk of parliamentary procedure, lawmakers who abstained or failed to vote were automatically counted as voting "no"—a technicality that, in this case, worked against Zandanshatar. The majority "no" votes paved the way for his dismissal, even as questions swirled about whether he would challenge the decision or attempt to cling to power in an acting capacity until a successor is named.
“We are fighting against the theft of the nation’s wealth that has robbed every Mongolian, and we are working to increase the salaries of teachers and doctors,” Zandanshatar declared in a defiant speech during the debate preceding the vote, as reported by the Associated Press. His words alluded to the broader context of mounting labor unrest in the country—a context that has only added to the sense of crisis enveloping Mongolia’s government.
Indeed, the political upheaval comes at a critical juncture. The parliament has yet to pass the budget for 2026, and public sector workers are growing increasingly restive. Teachers across the country staged a strike during the week leading up to the vote, demanding long-promised salary hikes. Medical doctors, too, have threatened to walk off the job if their demands are not met. The standoff over public sector pay has underscored the stakes of the budget debate and heightened the pressure on Mongolia’s leaders to resolve their internal differences.
The roots of the current crisis can be traced back to the aftermath of the party leadership contest. After Zandanshatar’s defeat, his supporters accused Amarbayasgalan, the speaker, of corruption tied to Mongolia’s lucrative coal mining industry—a sector that has long been a source of both national wealth and political controversy. The allegations prompted a government investigation, further inflaming tensions between the two camps and fueling suspicions of score-settling within the ruling party.
For his part, Amarbayasgalan has sought to portray himself as a defender of parliamentary democracy and the rule of law. On October 16, just one day before the decisive vote, he submitted a request to resign as speaker of parliament, citing a desire to "restore his honor" and "defend parliamentary democracy." In a pointed statement, he accused his rivals of abusing their positions: “The obsession for power among those who lost the election, and their lawless, arbitrary actions within the executive branch, are unlawfully influencing law enforcement agencies, in violation of the Constitution.”
As the dust settles, the path forward remains murky. Zandanshatar, who only assumed the prime ministership in June 2025, is now serving as acting prime minister until a replacement can be found. There is, as yet, no clear indication of who might succeed him or whether he will mount any legal or political challenge to his dismissal. The uncertainty has left both the government and the public on edge, with many wondering whether the ruling Mongolian People’s Party can overcome its internal divisions and restore stability at a time when the country can least afford further upheaval.
The timing of the crisis is particularly fraught. Mongolia, a landlocked nation sandwiched between Russia and China, has long struggled to balance its economic ambitions with the demands of good governance and political accountability. The coal mining industry, central to the country’s economy, has often been at the heart of corruption scandals and political infighting. The latest round of accusations and counter-accusations has only reinforced public cynicism about the ability of the country’s leaders to act in the national interest.
Meanwhile, the budget impasse threatens to deepen the sense of instability. With teachers already on strike and doctors poised to follow, the government’s ability to deliver basic services is at risk. The prospect of further labor unrest looms large, and there are concerns that prolonged political gridlock could undermine Mongolia’s fragile economic recovery in the wake of global shocks and domestic challenges.
Observers note that the events of October 17 are unusual even by the standards of Mongolian politics, where party infighting and leadership shakeups are not uncommon. The public nature of the dispute—played out in parliamentary debates, committee votes, and high-profile resignations—has laid bare the fault lines within the ruling party and raised questions about the durability of Mongolia’s democratic institutions.
As the country waits for clarity on its next prime minister and the fate of its embattled speaker, one thing is certain: Mongolia’s political drama is far from over. The coming days and weeks will test the resilience of its parliament, the unity of its ruling party, and the patience of a public eager for stability, accountability, and a government that can deliver on its promises.
For now, Mongolia stands at a crossroads, its future direction uncertain, as its leaders grapple with the fallout from a power struggle that has left the nation’s highest offices in flux and its citizens watching closely for what comes next.