Voters across the vast, sparsely populated nation of 3.4 million — sandwiched between authoritarian China and Russia — are exercising their democratic rights to elect 126 members of the State Great Khural.Polls opened at 7 a.m. local time, AFP reporters said. They close at 10 p.m.Analysts expect the ruling Mongolian People's Party , led by Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene, to retain the majority it has enjoyed since 2016 and govern the resource-rich country for another four years.
For the first time in almost a decade, parties are required by law to ensure that 30 percent of their candidates are women in a country where politics is dominated by men.The center-right anti-corruption HUN party is expected to increase its parliamentary representation through its social-media savvy, professional candidates who enjoy significant support among the urban middle classes.