Mongolians voted in presidential elections Sunday amid economic worries and concerns about a possible repeat of deadly riots that marred national elections last year. Public opinion polls ahead of the voting showed incumbent President Enkhbayar Nambaryn enjoying a slight edge over rival Democratic Party candidate Elbegdorj Tsahia.
Authorities banned election day alcohol sales and cancelled sports competitions, cultural shows and other events that draw crowds to prevent a repeat of last year's riots that left five dead. About 50 election observers from 11 international organisations and embassies such as the US, Sweden and Japan monitored the balloting.
Police guarded all of the country's 1,691 polling stations to ensure a ``stable and smooth' election and reported no problems by Sunday afternoon, said Saintsogt, a national police spokesman who, like many Mongolians, goes by one name.
The election comes as the landlocked country struggles to cope with plummeting mineral prices, which have hit the economy hard. Growth that averaged nearly 9 percent annually in 2004-2008 _ mainly carried by high prices for copper and new gold production _ is projected to slump to just above 2 percent this year as mineral prices tumble. One third of Mongolia's 2.9 million people already live below the poverty line.
Elbegdorj, a two-time former prime minister, is campaigning on a theme of change and anti-corruption that pleases urban voters, especially in the capital of Ulan Bator, where more than half the electorate live. Enkhbayar and his ruling Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party are wooing their rural base with promises of national unity, law enforcement and continued government assistance.
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