1. On August 25, 2022, the State Great Khural amended the Constitution to abolish Article 39.1. This amendment process was done within a day, and was seen as a political decision which weakened the parliamentary system. Yet, the initiative to amend the Constitution does not stop with this amendment, and new initiatives for broader set of amendments might be expected. Statements from politicians and political party representatives have hinted at possible amendments to the electoral system, composition of the parliament, and further strengthening of the parliamentary system from the existing semi-presidential status quo.
2. The draft non-profit laws are being promoted by the Ministry of Justice and Internal Affairs for consideration in the current parliamentary session. The Minister of Justice has linked the need to pass the NPO laws with Mongolia’s grey-listing by the Financial Action Task Force, claiming that the laws will help prevent future grey-listing despite Mongolia’s grey-listing being primarily linked to its financial issues related to its trade in precious metals. There have been some consultations between civil society and government agencies on the laws but it is not clear whether input is being incorporated into the bills’ draft language.
3. A recent scandal related to high-level politicians being implicated in coal theft sparked frustration among the public and days of mass demonstrations at the central square from December 4, 2022. On the second day of demonstrations thousands of people demanded to know the names of the officials involved in the coal theft and to hold them accountable. Although demonstrators stormed the government palace on several occasions, there was no major violence during the protest. Police refrained from using any force, while the National Human Rights Commission of Mongolia (NHRCM), Amnesty International Mongolia, Human Rights Forum and CSOs conducted human rights monitoring during the protest. Human rights lawyers provided legal counsel for the detained.