ULAN BATOR: Mongolians converged on Ulan Bator's Freedom Square on Tuesday to protest over parliament's dissolution of the government in what could turn into the biggest demonstration since the country plunged into crisis two weeks ago.
But heavy snow and sub-zero temperatures could limit the size of the demonstration, called for by the Democratic Union, an organisation instrumental in the movement that resulted in the country's first free elections in 1990.
The crisis began when more than half the cabinet, all members of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party, which ran Mongolia as a Soviet satellite for much of the 20th century, quit the government of Prime Minister Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, a Democrat.
The MPRP has since held talks with many of Mongolia's smaller parties to shore up support for its nomination of party chief and Ulan Bator mayor Enkhbold (Eds: one name) as the country's next prime minister.
Parliament, the Great Hural, had been expected to vote on the nomination last Friday, but political jockeying delayed the process of installing a new government.
The Democrats have vowed not to take part in any MPRP-organised government, but plan to form their own shadow cabinet with the smaller Civil Courage party.
The turmoil has sparked protests in Ulan Bator and across Mongolia's vast, wind-swept plains which, under Genghis Khan, was the centre of one of the world's greatest empires.
But there has been almost no violence, except for an early demonstration in which marchers broke windows at MPRP headquarters and reportedly burnt the party's flag, and scuffles last week between protesting pensioners and police.
The MPRP cited a slowdown in economic growth since 2004 and a rise in inflation as its reasons for pulling out of Elbegdorj's government.
But Elbegdorj said the MPRP might have toppled his administration to halt his campaign against official corruption, an issue residents say is of growing concern to foreign investors tapping Mongolia's mineral wealth.
Power shuffles are not new in Mongolia. Four governments were formed in four years the last time the Democrats were in power, between 1996 and 2000.
But since the 1990 elections, Mongolia has proved to be one of the most stable states in Central Asia. In November, U.S. President George W. Bush visited and praised Mongolia as a model of democracy in the region and thanked the government for its support of the Iraq war.
Mongolia has sent around 120 soldiers to Iraq. - Reuters
Updated: 01:25PM Tue, 24 Jan 2006
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