Sanjiin Bayar
Sanjiin Bayar, sometimes referred to as Sanjaagiin Bayar, is a Mongolian politician who served as the 25th Prime Minister of Mongolia from 2007 to 2009. He was a member of the State Baga Khural from 1990 until its dissolution in 1992, member of the State Great Khural from 2008 to 2012 and Chairman of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party from 2007 to 2010.
During his tenure as prime minister, violent riots occurred in 2008 due to alleged electoral fraud that led to a declaration of a state of emergency for the first time in Mongolia's modern history and a longstanding political crisis between the major political parties. Furthermore, Mongolia was hit with the 2008 financial crisis, which led to a brief economic stagnation and downturn as mineral prices collapsed.
Despite securing another term in the 2008 elections, he announced on 26 October 2009, that he was going to resign his position as prime minister for health reasons. He was succeeded by Sükhbaataryn Batbold on 29 October 2009.
Early life
Bayar was born in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, on 24 December 1956.His father's given name on official government documents was Sanj, but when he entered the National University of Mongolia, an extra "aa" was mistakenly added to his name and it became "Sanjaa" on his diploma. Due to these issues with state registration, Bayar's patronymic name has since then been frequently inconsistent.
According to Bayar's birth certificate, his official name is Sanjaagiin Ulziibayar. But when he entered a Russian kindergarten, the administration registered Bayar's full name as "Sandjaagiyn Uldziibair". His father infuriated by Bayar's russified name, shortened his name from "Sanjaagiin Ulziibayar" to "Sanjiin Bayar" when registering Bayar to elementary school. Many foreign media outlets and even official Mongolian government sources wrongly refer to Bayar as "Sanjaagiin Bayar", causing misconception about his surname.
In 1978, he completed his law degree at the Moscow State University. From 1979 to 1983, he worked as an junior officer at the General Staff of Mongolian Armed Forces. From 1983 to 1990, Bayar worked as a journalist and editor at the Montsame and Mongolpress news agencies.
From 1990 to 1992 until its dissolution, he was elected MPRP member of the State Baga Khural. From 1992 to 1997, he taught at the Academy of Social Sciences, studied in Washington, D.C., and was director of the Mongolian Ministry of Defense's Institute for Strategic Studies. From 1997 to 2001, he was the chairman of the Mongolian Presidential office, and from 2001 to 2005 he was Mongolia's Ambassador to Russia.
He is twice divorced, and has seven children.
Political career
Bayar joined the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party in 1988. He became General Secretary of the MPRP in 2005 and was – by 377 to 229 votes – elected Chairman of the MPRP at a party congress in October 2007, defeating incumbent Miyeegombyn Enkhbold. The same congress also voted in favor of Bayar becoming the next prime minister. The Parliament approved Bayar as the next Prime Minister of Mongolia on 22 November 2007, with 67 votes in favor and two against.He began his career as prime minister with verbal attacks against Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj and the nationalisation of the 15% share of Mongolian companies in the Tavantolgoi mine, making it a 100% public venture, thus inducing enthusiasm of Russian companies in the large coal deposit. Most of the members of a three-party coalition government, led by Bayar and dominated by the MPRP, were approved by the State Great Khural on 5 December 2007; the government included Bayar's predecessor, Miyeegombyn Enkhbold, as Deputy Prime Minister. This government was planned to serve until the June 2008 parliamentary election.
On 11 September 2008, following the MPRP's victory in the June election, Bayar was elected as the new Prime Minister of the coalition government between the MPRP and DP. Under his leadership, the Government of Mongolia finally signed an investment agreement to mine the Oyu Tolgoi copper deposit. The deal was later revealed that in fact it was in favor of the investors. According to some sources, after his resignation he moved to the US and bought several properties on his daughter and relatives names. Later it was found that he has several offshore accounts. It is believed that he still has influences on MPP which is confirmed by a leaked video footage in which he gives advice to Miyeegombyn Enkhbold, the official head of the party, for his presidential election speech preparation.
2008 state of emergency
On 1 July 2008, Nambaryn Enkhbayar, then-President of Mongolia announced a state of emergency in the midnight after the riot was over. During the riots, the police chased civilians and shot four civilians to death from their backs and severely injured a dozen of civilians to life disability in streets different from demonstration or riot location. Also the police arrested approximately 1000 people in street or from random locations whether connected to the riot or not and imprisoned them including children and women without legal advocacy and inhumanely and degradingly treated them with torture involved as they claimed and later released some of them and sentenced some of them. Victims, and their families, civil societies claim the responsibility to President Enkhbayar who announced the state of emergency in the middle of night – uncustomary hour of announcing state of emergency and shooting civilians without weapons in streets by chasing them and shooting them from their backs in random locations. A wounded teenager to lifelong disability and witnesses confirmed that they were shot by the police.The police is the state enforcement agency under the government, thus President Nambaryn Enkhbayar, Prime Minister Sanjiin Bayar and Minister of Justice Tsendiin Mönkh-Orgil have been blamed by the victims, their families, and civil societies for the deaths.
Declining health and resignation
Bayar was admitted to a hospital in Ulaanbaatar in October 2009. Because of his declining health, Bayar announced his resignation in a letter to the State Great Khural one week later on 26 October 2009. A meeting held two days later confirmed that the parliament had accepted his resignation. Bayar apologised to those who had voted for him. Norovyn Altankhuyag, the First Deputy Prime Minister, temporarily moved up as Bayar's replacement. Bayar then was succeeded by Sükhbaataryn Batbold on 29 October 2009.On 8 April 2010, Sanjiin Bayar read his written request to resign from the chairmanship of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party due to declining health reasons to the conference of the party and then was replaced by Sükhbaataryn Batbold for the position on the same day from the party conference.