Mongolian MPs boycott parliament

By Michael Kohn
BBC News, Ulan Bator

Hundreds of people were injured or arrested in the protests

The opening session of the Mongolian parliament has stalled after opposition Democrats staged a walk-out.

The session was to be a swearing-in day for new MPs, but the president had to close the session early as there were not enough MPs for a quorum.

Mongolian politics have been in turmoil since the disputed election on 29 June that sparked riots in the capital.

The opposition has described the poll as fraudulent, and wants the head of the General Election Committee to quit.

Inquiry demand

The opening session of the Mongolian parliament is usually a ceremonial affair.

The president swears in the new MPs, and each takes a turn bowing in front of the national flag.

But Mongolian President Nambariin Enkhbayar was caught wrong-footed when all 25 newly-elected MPs from the Democratic Party walked out.

The Democrat boycott comes in the wake of disputed elections that led to riots on 1 July.

The opposition party leader, Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, says his party will not return to parliament until several demands are met, including an investigation into the riots and information on how five people died that night.

The Democrats are calling for a release of more than 200 prisoners still in jail following the riots.

And they are demanding the publication of the final results of the elections, as several constituencies remain in dispute.