Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj
Elbegdorj Tsakhia (Mongolian: Цахиагийн Элбэгдорж;[a][b] born 30 March 1963) is a Mongolian politician and journalist who served as President of Mongolia from 2009 to 2017. He previously served as prime minister in 1998 and again from 2004 to 2006.
In this Mongolian name, the given name is Elbegdorj. Tsakhia is a patronymic, not a family name.
Elbegdorj Tsakhia
- Natsagiin Bagabandi
- Nambaryn Enkhbayar
Nambaryn Enkhbayar
Natsagiin Bagabandi
30 March 1963
Zereg, Mongolian People's Republic
Democratic Union (until 2000)
25 (21 adopted)
Mongolian People's Republic
1982–1983
Elbegdorj was one of the key leaders of the 1990 Mongolian democratic revolution that ended 70 years of communist rule in Mongolia, and co-drafted the country's 1992 constitution that guaranteed democracy and a free market economy. Elbegdorj has been labeled by his supporters as a "freedom fighter"[1] and the "Golden Sparrow of Democracy," alluding to a bird that comes with spring sunshine after a long, harsh winter.[2]
Elbegdorj is the founder of the Ardchilal (English: Democracy) newspaper – the country's first independent newspaper – and helped to establish the first independent television station in Mongolia.[3][4]
Currently, Elbegdorj is a member of The Elders – established by Nelson Mandela in 2007 – that works for peace, justice, human rights and a sustainable planet.[5] Moreover, he is a member of Club de Madrid which commits to advancing democracy worldwide.[6] In addition, Elbegdorj is a commissioner of International Commission Against Death Penalty.[7]
His tenure has focused on fighting corruption, environmental protection,[8] women's rights,[9] judicial reform, civic engagement,[10] economic liberalization and privatization, property rights, and the abolition of the death penalty.[11]
Leading democratic movement[edit]
During his studies in the USSR, Elbegdorj learned about Glasnost, the concepts such as freedom of speech and economic liberties. After returning to Mongolia, he met other like-minded people and tried to present those ideas to a wider audience,[24] despite attempts of repression from the Politburo-authority of the government,[25] and threats by his employer to lose his job. At the end of a speech at the Young Artists' Second National Congress on 28 November 1989, Elbegdorj said that Mongolia needed democracy and appealed to youth to collaborate to create democracy in Mongolia. He told the audience "We consider that Perestroika is a timely and brave step. Youth's contribution to this revolutionary matter is not by supportive talks but by certain work. Our contribution is our objectives to be fulfilled. Our objectives are: ... following democracy and transparency and contributing to glasnost, ... and supporting fair progressive power ... These are the objectives of an initiatives' group-an organization that shall work. After the congress I hope we will gather and discuss with you about it in this (newly forming group). The organization shall be based on public, voluntary and democratic principles."[26]
The chairman of the congress stopped Elbegdorj's speech and warned him not to say such things. It was 1989 and Mongolia had been a communist country for 68 years.[27] At that time, it was alleged that every other person was an unofficial communist party spy who would report people who expressed opinions other than socialism and communism.[28] During the break of the congress, two young individuals met Elbegdorj and the three agreed to found a democratic movement and to secretly spread the news to other young people.[29] Later the three met and united with ten other individuals and they are known as the Thirteen Leaders of Mongolia's Democratic Revolution.[30][31] On his return from Congress, his boss at the newspaper Ulaan Od warned Elbegdorj that he would be fired if he participated further in any activities out of work or engaged in any conduct inconsistent with communist and socialist ideology.[26] Despite the warning, Elbegdorj and his friends met secretly with other young people in the circle auditorium of the National University of Mongolia and discussed democracy, free market economic policy, and other prohibited subjects of the time, and began to draft a plan to organize a democratic movement.[32] They met many times and brought new friends and new supporters to join them secretly. One night they placed ads for their open demonstration in the streets.[26]
On the morning of 10 December 1989, the first open pro-democracy demonstration met in front of the Youth Cultural Center in Ulaanbaatar.[33] There, Elbegdorj announced the creation of the Mongolian Democratic Union.[34] The Mongolian Democratic Union founders publicly petitioned the government for a real implementation of perestroika, including allowing a multi-party system, the total implementation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in all party and government affairs.[35] In subsequent months activists led by Elbegdorj and others continued to organize demonstrations, rallies, protests and hunger strikes, as well as teachers' and workers' strikes.[36] Activists had growing support from Mongolians, both in the capital and the countryside and the union's activities led to other calls for democracy all over the country.[37][38][39]
After numerous demonstrations of many thousands of people in the capital city as well as provincial centres, the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party's Politburo – the authority of the government – eventually gave way to the pressure and entered negotiations with the leaders of the democratic movement.[40] Jambyn Batmönkh, chairman of Politburo of MPRP's Central Committee decided to dissolve the Politburo and to resign on 9 March 1990.[41][42] This paved the way for the first multi-party elections in Mongolia.[36] Elbegdorj announced this news to the hunger strikers and to people who'd gathered on Sükhbaatar Square at 10 PM on that day after the negotiations between leaders of MPRP and Mongolian Democratic Union.[26] As a result, Mongolia became the first Asia country to successfully transition from communist rule to democracy.[43] Elbegdorj worked as the Leader of the Mongolian Democratic Union in 1989–1997.[44]
In a documentary film about the President (titled: "Man of the People") released in the year of the 25th-anniversary celebrations of the Mongolian democratic changes, President Elbegdorj tells the story of the historical political change and reinventing democracy.[45]
Journalism career[edit]
Elbegdorj worked as a correspondent at Ulaan Od-newspaper of the Mongolian Armed Forces and as a chief of an army literature unit between 1988 and 1990.[46] While in these positions, Elbegdorj wrote articles disclosing all the good and bad in the army units and suggested improvements for the army prior to democratic movement's beginning.[47]
Elbegdorj founded Mongolia's first independent newspaper Ardchilal (Democracy) and worked as its first editor-in-chief in 1990. The newspaper played a major role in completing the country's democratic revolution.[34] He co-introduced freedom of the press in the country by co-initiating the Law on Press Freedom and playing a key role in passing the law in 1998.[48]
Elbegdorj also helped to create Mongolia's first independent TV station Eagle TV in 1994.[3] It was run by the former Mongolian Broadcasting Company, a joint venture of the U.S. Christian missionary organization AMONG Foundation, and the Mongolia Media Corporation.[49]
Legislative career[edit]
Elbegdorj was elected to the Parliament four times, in 1990, 1992, 1996 and 2008.[50] As a Member of the People's Congress, Elbegdorj co-drafted and co-adopted Mongolia's new Constitution on 13 January 1992.[51] The new Constitution guaranteed human rights, democracy, freedom of religion, and free speech.[52] An international intellectual once referred Elbegdorj as "Mongolia's Thomas Jefferson."[53] Elbegdorj, as the chairman of the Democratic Party, co-led the Democratic Union Coalition to its historic victory in the 1996 parliamentary elections.[54] He served as the Majority Leader of the State Great Hural (Parliament) in 1996–2000[55] and as the Vice Speaker of the Parliament in 1996–1998.[56]
Elbegdorj founded and worked as the head of Mongolia's first Entrepreneurs Association in 1991 as well. The association helped to privatize livestock for free to their herders from the socialist collective farms. As a result, the first private property was given to almost half of Mongolia's entire population.[18] He supported the privatization of state-owned properties and assets[57] and land.[58]
While as the chairman of the State Commission on Rehabilitation, Elbegdorj initiated and brought the state to apologize for the victims and families of over 36,000 people who had been persecuted and mass massacred during the years of Mongolian People's Party's communist rule.[59] He played a key role in the approval of the Rehabilitation Law, which provided rehabilitation and compensation to the survivors and families of political victims, and recovery from the Stalinist purges and prohibited future violation of human rights. In addition, the law established a Memorial Day for Political Victims.[60]
Furthermore, Elbegdorj was a member of the National Counseling Committee of the Democratic Party in 1994–2009; leader and chairman of the Democratic Party in 1996–1999, and April 2006 – September 2008 respectively; and chairman of the Democratic Union Coalition of the Mongolian National Democratic Party and Mongolian Social Democratic Party in 1996–2000.[44]
Post-presidency[edit]
On 23 September 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine and following the start of the Russian mobilization, Elbegdorj published a video address in YouTube, where he criticised the invasion and urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to "stop this senseless killing and destruction." He honoured Russians protesting against their government and instructed Russian draftees not to "shoot Ukrainians" and "kill that country". Elbegdorj also claimed that Buryats, Tuvans, and Kalmyks are "used as nothing more than cannon fodder", and that Mongolia is ready to shelter refugees fleeing Russia to avoid the military draft. He praised the "brave people" of Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelensky.[257][258][259]
On 24 January 2023 in Washington, DC, USA, Elbegdorj participated in setting the Doomsday Clock at 90 seconds to midnight due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the increased risk of nuclear escalation. The Doomsday Clock's time is set by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ Science and Security Board and the Bulletin's Board of Sponsors including 10 Nobel Laureates. Elbegdorj said: "Today our world faces multiple crises. A common thread runs through them all: failure of leadership. We need a collective response rooted in the spirit and values of the UN Charter that can put us back on a pathway to peaceful co-existence and sustainable development."[260][261]
On 31 August 2020, following the protests by Chinese Mongols against the Chinese authorities’ decision to replace their native Mongolian language in some school subjects with Chinese Mandarin in the Chinese autonomous region of Inner Mongolia, Elbegdorj voiced his support in media,[262][263] and social media and youtube.com.[264] and wrote a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping.[265]
