Mongolians hail opposition win

Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, a short, bespectacled man, walked down the steps of the capital's parliament building, a huge statue of Genghis Kahn behind him, as throngs of supporters waved flags and cheered.

The 46-year-old, who served twice as prime minister, told them that the election results were as much a victory for the rights and freedoms of Mongolia as it was for him and the Democratic Party. "It is a win for the entire country," he said.

The spirited celebrations were in marked contrast to last July, when rioting left five people dead and about 300 injured after allegations of fraud in parliamentary elections. That disputed election raised concerns about the young democracy in Mongolia, a country of 3 million that emerged from more than 70 years of Communist rule in 1990.

But there appeared to be no question about the integrity of Sunday's balloting, as international observers monitored polling stations around the country.

Officials reported that Elbegdorj garnered more than 51 percent of the votes. The incumbent, Nambaryn Enkhbayar of the ruling Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party, conceded defeat before the official results were announced Monday afternoon.

"It's a fair election," said Erdentsetseg, a 58-year-old retired herder who, like many Mongolians, goes by one name. Dressed in a silver deel, a traditional silk costume, Erdentsetseg said she had traveled a day by train to cast her ballot in the city. She showed an ink dot on the index finger of her left hand - a mark indicating that she voted.

"What happened last year was very hard and difficult," she said of the rioting in July, in which people set the ruling party's headquarters on fire and damaged the adjacent national art gallery. "Now, nothing; we have no problem with democracy," she said.

Mongolia's countryside traditionally has been a stronghold of the People's Revolutionary Party, while the Democratic Party has drawn more support from the younger, urban population.

Although Mongolia is rich in copper, gold, uranium, and other minerals, more than one-third of its citizens live below the poverty line. The average income last year was about $1,700.

During the campaign, Elbegdorj pledged to help improve the economic life of students and the elderly alike.

He promised to root out corruption and also sought to assure people that the nation's mineral wealth would be distributed among them, not taken by foreign mining companies.