Ouste former Prime Minister L.Oyun-Erdene, during his final days as head of the government, issued a highly controversial and illegal decree granting land to a private company near the border zone.

• 🚫 His decision was annulled by last Wednesday’s cabinet meeting. Meanwhile, the Minister of Justice and Home Affairs, who appeared to make a statement, also highlighted that coal thefts will be addressed in this spring’s parliamentary session, adding to the heated political atmosphere.

🤔 What happened?

The former Prime Minister approved the use of 34,227.8 hectares of land located 900 meters to 2.5 km from the national border, around 10 border checkpoints, during his last cabinet session, without any discussion. This decision was made 4 days before his resignation, on May 28.

• 😢 Under the pretext of “developing the border checkpoint,” the state-owned company “Border Revival Development Corporation” was granted the right to exploit minerals and occupy the land. In addition, 54 special permits for mineral resources were issued overlapping the border zone: 16 for exploration and 38 for extraction. Each of these permits is now being individually reviewed.

His decision directly violated the Law on Borders, which prohibits land ownership, use, or exploitation within 15 km of the border. Alarmingly, some of the granted land was located just 30 meters to 1.3 km from the national red line, meaning it directly entered the border protection zone.

🤷 Who is involved?

The case also involves MP B.Tulga, former chair of the National Committee for Border Revival under the previous government. The timeline suggests, 

• 1️⃣ In January last year, he established the Border Revival Development Corporation.
• 2️⃣ A month later, he defined the land area.
• 3️⃣ On May 28, 4 days before L.Oyun-Erdene’s resignation, the land was granted to the company he had established.

Additionally, the cabinet announced the annulment of the 2022 decree related to “Smart Eco Trans” LLC, a company linked to former Speaker of Parliament D.Amarbayasgalan and the “Admineral” company, which was incorporated on the same day. In conclusion, Prime Minister G.Zandanshatar described the matter as a serious offense threatening national interests, security, and involving corruption and abuse of office.

The key question… Will those responsible be held accountable? 10 months ago, former President Kh.Battulga was involved in the Tugrug Lake deposit case, yet no real legal consequences followed. When will the cycle of naming names without real accountability finally end?