Protesters storm Mongolian party building

ULAN BATOR, Mongolia --Hundreds of protesters stormed the headquarters of Mongolia's biggest political party on Thursday, reportedly forcing the party to reconsider its decision to withdraw from the ruling coalition, a move that would topple the government.

About 1,500 protesters, who had earlier gathered in the city's central square for a rally, shattered the glass doors and windows of the headquarters of the Mongolian People's Revolution Party as they entered the building. No party leaders were in the building and no injuries were reported.

The protesters accused the MPRP, which ruled this former Soviet satellite until the end of communism in 1990, of trying to seize power by usurping the 15-month-old government and demanded it reverse its decision by Monday afternoon.

The MPRP pulled out of the government Wednesday and demanded the resignation of the prime minister, accusing the leadership of failing to fight corruption and worsening poverty in the U.S.-allied nation of 2.5 million people. The move would leave the government without the minimum number of parliamentary seats required to stay in power.

The party agreed later Thursday to discuss the protesters' demands and consider rejoining the government, state-run television reported.

A few hundred protesters remained inside the headquarters and vowed to stay until the Monday deadline.

"This is a victory for us. The MPRP is considering our demands," said Batsukh, a trader, who, like many Mongolians, uses one name. "We will stay here and see what kind of answer they give us. If our demands are not met we will take further action."

Mongolia -- a vast, sparsely populated stretch of deserts, steppe and mountains sandwiched between Russia and China -- has suffered a steep economic decline since it launched radical free-market reforms in the early 1990s.

It has increasingly looked to the United States for support for its struggling democracy and has about 160 troops in Iraq. President Bush made the first visit to the country by a serving U.S. president in November.

The MPRP said Wednesday that it would try to form its own government but didn't say who might join. The party has 38 of 76 seats in parliament, one short of the 39 required to take power. Parliament was scheduled to meet on Friday to discuss the MPRP's withdrawal.

"The MPRP is trying to regain its control of the country as it was before the 1990s," said protester Nyam, 35, an unemployed man. "Now we're seeing a political overthrow of the government."

A four-party coalition government was formed in August 2004 after two months of legal challenges to election results and the refusal of opposition lawmakers to attend parliament. One party pulled out four months later but left the coalition with enough seats to stay in power.

The Motherland Democracy Coalition is led by Prime Minister Tsakhilganiin Elbegdorj, a Harvard-educated former journalist and dissident.

The MPRP on Wednesday demanded that Elbegdorj resign.

"The current government doesn't perform very well in tackling the problems facing Mongolian society -- issues such as poverty, unemployment and fighting corruption," MPRP chairman Mieagombo Enkhbold said on state television.

In comments also broadcast on television, Elbegdorj responded, "I don't think these reasons are enough to dismiss the government."

The capital, Ulan Bator, has been the scene of repeated protests over poverty, corruption and complaints about land reform.