No quick end to Mongolia political turmoil in sight

By Lindsay Beck

ULAN BATOR (Reuters) - Private television was back on the air, alcohol on sale and restaurants open after the end of Mongolia's emergency rule, but a week after a disputed election the country's political problems were still far from resolved.

Prime Minister Sanjaagiin Bayar urged citizens to avoid a repeat of last week's riot, which was sparked by allegations of election fraud.

That violence left the headquarters of Bayar's Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) in flames and brought four days of emergency rule.

"This is not easy. The dust has not settled after the election and people are still upset," Bayar said in an address on state television.

"The parties are determined to solve the issues in a peaceful way and according to law," he said.

Preliminary results show the MPRP took a clear majority in the parliament, or Great Hural, but the opposition Democratic Party and several smaller parties dispute the outcome and are demanding recounts and possible fresh elections in some districts.

The political uncertainty will delay formation of a government that would be tasked with passing agreements to allow Mongolia's vast mining wealth to finally be exploited and tackling inflation running in the double-digits.

The past week has been a test for the young Central Asian democracy which shook off Soviet influence in 1990 and whose residents were shocked by the rioting last Tuesday that left five dead and troops in the streets to enforce the state of emergency.  Continued...