(29 Jun 1996) Mongolian/Natsound
Mongolia is preparing for Sunday's parliamentary elections, in which 304 candidates including a monk and a movie star are vying for 76 seats in the People's Hural.
The poll could loosen the grip of the former Communists who still control the country six years after popular protests triggered an end to one-party rule.
In an exclusive interview with APTV, Mongolia's President said the current communist government had neglected the needs of many Mongolians.
Mongolia is a vast, sparsely-populated land squeezed between its giant neighbours, China and Russia.
For seven decades, Mongolia was a virtual colony of the Soviet Union until the country ended one-party rule six years ago.
Since then, the country of two-point-two (m) million has been grappling with its future direction and the move from a centralised economy to a free market.
Like many former communist economies, Mongolia's has suffered in the transition to a new order.
Political power in Mongolia dominated by the cabinet of Ministers and the capital Hural - or Parliament - which is still dominated by the former communists, the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party - or MPRP.
Mongolia's President is a supporter of the opposition Democratic Coalition, but he is banned by law from being a member of a political party.
In an exclusive interview with the A-P-T-V, he said the current government has neglected the needs of many Mongolians.
SOUNDBITE: (Mongolian)
"Because the Mongolian government is concentrating on the development of a market economy, the social aspects of the people's lives have lagged behind. And people are becoming frustrated because their social needs are not being met during these recent years."
SUPER CAPTION: Punsalmaagiyn Ochirbat, Mongolian President
The transition from a planned to market economy has left many struggling to make ends meet.
Where once people may have worked in factories, many now scrounge for a living in black markets.
M-P-R-P, the former Communist Party, currently hold 70 of the parliament's 76 seats.
The party's leaders are confident people will trust familiar old leaders and they will do well on Sunday, but they admit they cannot be sure.
SOUNDBITE: (Mongolian)
"The people will decide -- the people have seen now for four years what we are doing. And we cannot really tell how they will decide to vote."
SUPER CAPTION: Enkhmandakh Baldan, Secretary, Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP)
Not everyone is happy with the move to a free market economy.
These protestors are on hunger strike over the privatisation of a department store.
The democratic opposition wants to narrow the gap between rich and poor and move ahead with social reforms.
It is hoping for a third of the seats - not enough to win control, but enough to have some clout in decision-making.
As these young people graduate and begin to look at careers, they have differing views on who would benefit their country most.
SOUNDBITE: (Mongolian)
"I am supporting the democratic opposition because I want a better life -- now people are just getting poorer. We need some drastic changes in Mongolia. And the platform of the democratic opposition gives me confidence."
SUPER CAPTION: Bathishig, Graduate
SOUNDBITE: (Mongolian)
"Well the former communist party, the MPRP, is an old party but now it's reformed. They are now more democratic, and they have more experience. They have led the country for more than 70 years, and I have confidence in them because they have more experience."
SUPER CAPTION: Purevsuren, Graduate
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