The new president of Mongolia is a billionaire, a judoka, an artist and with a Russian wife. Mongolia's President, Former Martial Arts Champion, Now Fights Serious Problems Mongolia's President of the Year

Battulga used the image of Vladimir Putin in his election race.

Election poster with the inscription "President like Putin"

Presidential candidate from the opposition Democratic Party Khaltmaagiin Battulga won the second round of the presidential elections in Mongolia.

Khaltmaagiin Battulga received 610.54 thousand votes (50.6%). The representative of the ruling Mongolian People's Party, Speaker of Parliament Miyegombyn Enkhbold received 496.84 thousand votes (41.2%). The remaining 8.14% of ballots were thrown into the ballot boxes empty. The final election results will be announced after all votes have been counted.

The elected President of Mongolia is one of the richest people in Mongolia (he heads the Zhenko Corporation). He was a member of the country's parliament and the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure of Mongolia. From 1985 to 1989 he was a member of the Mongolia national sambo team. In 1989 he became the world champion in this sport. Since 2006, he has headed the Mongolian Judo Federation. His second wife, Angelica Davain, is Russian by origin, and gave birth to four twin boys.

Bright, rich and dangerous - this is how the Mongols describe him.

Artist, athlete, entrepreneur, former minister, politician An exemplary son and father. ARD mentioned him more than once on a variety of occasions. His ideas are usually grandiose, he is considered one of the richest people in Mongolia, and is the owner of the Zhenko corporation. A few years ago, ARD also published an interview with him.

The personality of Khaltmaagiin Battulga and his activities have always caused mixed assessments.

In March 2016, ARD reported that Mongolian security forces detained G. Tuvshinjargal, former assistant to “Zhenko” Kh. Battulgi and his secretary Sh. Erdenetuya, who has been working with the deputy for more than ten years.

“I myself willingly testified and long ago provided the security forces with all the relevant documents and evidence. My guys were detained illegally, their rights were violated. Apparently, they couldn’t “break” the guys, so they took on the women, one of whom had a baby. What do they hope to find from secretaries? And all this because our guys and I fought to prevent foreigners from taking over Tavan Tolgoi for 60, or even 100 years.”

In addition, last summer the newspaper “Unoodor” reported that he was “involved as a defendant in the matter of abuse official position and causing damage to the state on an especially large scale.”

Department for Combating Economic Crime Criminal Police together with the Investigation Department of the Anti-Corruption Office, they created a working group that is conducting an investigation into the provision of the South Korean company Samsung C&T under the heading of “agreement on the transfer of rights to carry out creative work on the railway branch in the direction of Wuhaa Hudag-Gashuun Suhait with a length of 267 km ” without announcing a tender, as well as abuse of official position and causing damage to the state on a particularly large scale within the framework of the implementation of the project to carry out creative work “New Railway”.

Another scandal in which the name of the deputy appeared was related to plans for the construction of roads and railways in Mongolia. According to the Ministry of Labor, in Mongolia there are currently almost 180 thousand unemployed and not studying citizens under 29 years of age. 90 thousand of them are men. There is always a shortage of labor for the construction of roads and railways, so foreign workers have to be hired.

To solve this problem, Mongolia plans to use military service, that is, to mobilize 10 thousand guys into the railway troops, and thus solve the issue of labor shortage for the construction of the railway and highway, noted the speaker of the VGH Zandaahugiin Enkhbold. One of the initiators of this project is the controversial MP of the Supreme State Assembly Kh. Battulga. On this occasion, the mayor of the city of Ulaanbaatar, Mr. E. Bat-Uul, said the following:

“As I believe, Battulga will resurrect the spirit of Hitler and Stalin. He was a communist junta, but I didn’t know.”

Thus, the mayor hinted that MP Kh. Battulga wants to use forced labor of military personnel in this project. He even compared the future railway troops of Mongolia with Russian prisoners of war who built the autobahn and railway for Nazi Germany. And he added that the railway through Mongolia and China was built by the Vlasovites on the orders of Stalin.

In fact, this project will be jointly implemented by the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Labor of Mongolia. On 3 directions railway There are 10 thousand jobs in Gashuun Sukhait, Sainshand and Bichigt border post. This is where these railway troops will work. And as the speaker of the Military Civil Aviation Z. Enkhbold said, all military personnel will receive a salary. Whether Mr. Mayor knew about this, or deliberately said so, no one knows. And other people, for example, a major businessman of Mongolia, director of the Gatsuurt company L. Chinbat, expressed dissatisfaction with the mayor’s words. He wrote on his Twitter:

“Is Bat-Ul a mental patient or something? These are the words of a man who has never worked. In our country, which is 50 years behind in development, work will definitely not be unnecessary for anyone - everyone who can should work. And it doesn’t matter who he is, a soldier or not. We must mobilize all the forces of the country. People who give money to foreigners and speculate are doing good only for themselves.”

It is obvious that the businessman clearly supports the railway troops project.

And about the positive
Now we will simply go through those points that reveal his personality from a new side. And, perhaps, they gradually tell you what is the reason for Mr. Battulga’s great success.

1. VGH deputy, candidate for President of Mongolia, Mr. Khaltmaagiin Battulga was born on March 3, 1963 in Ulaanbaatar. His first wife, Ts. Enkhtuyaa, is the director of the Nudelchin company. The second, current, wife is Russian. Her name is Angelica Davain. Apparently, Mr. Battulga is protecting her from “ evil eye“, because her photos practically never appear in the press. They only say that Angelica gave him twins.

2. His father is a native of Bayantsagaan soum of Bayankhongor aimag, and his mother is from Galuut soum of the same aimak. But his parents had long ago become residents of the capital. Battulga also has a younger brother and an older sister.

3. He studied at high school No. 34 of the city of Ulaanbaatar. After graduation, he entered the School of Fine Arts. There he studied "monumental art". Since 1982, Battulga began working in the Association of Artists.

4. When he was studying at the school of fine arts, he once sold his painting to tourists near the Bayangol hotel, then he was just studying English. Now the Bayangol Hotel is owned by Battulga.

5. Another of his crafts was martial arts. When he became the world champion in sambo, he was awarded an apartment in Ulaanbaatar. Battulga participated in the World Championship three times and won a full set of medals - gold, silver and bronze.

6. Finally, in 1989, he took 1st place at the World Sambo Cup and received a 4-room apartment, which, by his own admission, he had been waiting for so long.

7. His activities in sports were highly appreciated by the state and he was awarded the title of Honored Athlete of Mongolia. In September 2006, he became president of the Mongolian Judo Association. Since then, at his own expense, he has supported Mongolian judo in every possible way and donated more than one billion tugriks for the development of this sport.

8. He is one of Mongolia's billionaires.

9. Battulga began his small business in 1990. At that time, fabrics produced in Mongolia were very cheap. And Battulga sewed children's clothes. I sold it in Hungary, and then in Singapore. From there he brought several video cameras to Mongolia. The fact is that in Singapore a video camera then cost 600 US dollars. And in Mongolia he sold them for $1,200. This is how today's billionaire earned his first serious capital.

10. Battulga was the first in Mongolia to launch the Millionaire lottery. Here again he made a lot of money.

11. When suddenly yellow taxis appeared on the streets of Ulaanbaatar, the first “city taxi” service in Mongolia, Mr. H. Battulga was also behind this. Also with his light hand The first yellow mini-supermarkets appeared in Mongolia. During his life, he did a lot of things and undertook to earn money. He is rightly considered a hard worker, and also, when compared with other deputies of the VGH, his business qualities and “openness” are highly valued.

12. He once said that he never drank alcohol in the presence of his father. It turned out that he is generally a non-drinker, like his father and brother

13. There is a whole story about how he took his first step into politics. In 2002, there was a very difficult winter in Bayankhongor aimag. In Mongolia, such winters are called “Dzud”. His parents, natives of Bayankhongor aimak, asked him to help the local shepherds who had lost their livestock as a result of this natural disaster. Then he saw up close the harsh life of the common people. And, according to him, he finally decided to engage in politics.

14. Battulga is known to ARD readers for such projects as the “City of the Future Maidar Eco City” with the tallest statue of the Future Buddha in the center. Of the already implemented projects initiated by the politician, this is the tallest equestrian statue of Genghis Khan in the world.

15. Battulga also tried himself as a TV presenter - in the spring of 2013, he was still the Minister of Industry and Agriculture Mongolia agreed to host one issue of the television project “Mongol Tulgatny 100 Erham” together with the presenter P. Anuzhin.

New President Mongolia Khaltmaagiin Battulga On Monday, he officially took office as the President of Mongolia, the Montsame agency reports.

The inauguration ceremony took place at the State Residence in the presence of deputies, the head of the Constitutional Court, other candidates who participated in the 2017 presidential elections, and foreign diplomats.

In his speech, the new president promised, in particular, to pay attention to the development of foreign relations and the expansion of friendly relations with China and Russia in all directions.

Battulga, candidate of the minority Democratic Party in parliament, On July 7 he won in the second round presidential elections in Mongolia. According to preliminary calculations, Battulga scored 50.6% of the vote, turnout was 60.9%.

Battulga is a young, charismatic politician, successful businessman, artist and athlete. He is considered one of the richest people in Mongolia and is the owner of the Zhenko corporation. Speaks Russian English languages, reports the ARD portal.

As political scientists point out, he makes the main bet in his policy on the development of economic cooperation with Russia - " We have many unrealized opportunities in relations with Russia." Battulga considers it necessary to review a number of conditions put forward by the IMF on a government loan and oblige foreign companies mining minerals in Mongolia to conduct transactions through Mongolian banks. The new president also intends to diversify foreign trade, reducing dependence on China.

Khaltmaagiin Battulga was born on March 3, 1963 in Ulaanbaatar. One of his hobbies is martial arts. Battulga participated in the World Sambo Championship three times and won a full set of medals - gold, silver and bronze.

In 1989, he took 1st place at the World Sambo Cup, for which he received from the state a four-room apartment, which, by his own admission, he had been waiting for so long. Awarded the title of Honored Athlete of Mongolia.

In September 2006, he became president of the Mongolian Judo Federation. Since then, he has supported Mongolian judo at his own expense and donated more than 1 billion tugriks ($419 thousand) for the development of this sport.

He was elected as a deputy, served as Minister of Transport, and then as Minister of Industry of Mongolia. His first wife Ts. Enkhtuyaa Angelica Davain Russian by origin (according to Mongolian sources, she is not a citizen of Russia, but was born in Khentii aimag). The couple have two twin children.

10:27 — REGNUM The Main Election Committee of Mongolia today, July 9, announced the final results of the presidential elections and submitted to the State Great Khural (Parliament of Mongolia) a resolution recognizing the candidate as the elected president, the correspondent reports IA REGNUM. The winning candidate must take an oath during a parliamentary session. According to some reports, preparations for the inauguration have already begun.

Let us recall that on July 7, Mongolia held the second round of presidential elections for the first time in history, since during the first round, due to low voter turnout, none of the three candidates managed to collect 50% of the votes required for election.

In the second round, the candidate from the Mongolian People's Party, the current speaker of parliament, fought for the post of head of state Miegombo Enkhbold and Democratic candidate Khaltmaa Battulga.

According to the results of the second round, the Democratic Party candidate Khaltmaa Battulga received about 50.6% of the votes.

Already on July 8, although the Main Election Committee of Mongolia did not announce the final results, citizens who voted for this candidate and members of the Democratic Party celebrated their victory, and festive events took place in Victory Square in the capital of Mongolia.

And even his rival, candidate from the Mongolian People's Party Mieegombo Enkhbold, on July 8, before the results were announced, made an official statement admitting his defeat. He noted that, as Speaker of Parliament, he will convene an extraordinary session and promptly organize activities to prepare for the inauguration after the Main Election Committee submits a report on the final results of the presidential elections.

In his speech, Mieegombo Enkhbold expressed his gratitude to the voters who voted for him. Let us note that more than 500 thousand voters voted for the candidate from the MNP.

What powers does the President of Mongolia have?

The Mongolian Constitution clearly defines the powers and responsibilities of the President of Mongolia.

According to the Mongolian constitution, the president is the head of state, a symbol of the unity of the people of Mongolia.

A citizen of the country who has reached the age of forty-five and has resided permanently in his homeland for the last five years is elected President of Mongolia for a term of four years. The President has the right to veto the adoption of laws by parliament and its other decisions. The veto imposed by the president is discussed by parliament, and if two-thirds of all participants in the session reject it, then this law or decision is still considered to have entered into force.

The President proposes to the State Great Khural (parliament) a candidacy for the post of Prime Minister nominated by the party with the majority of seats in parliament, or, if the party does not have its own candidacy, a candidacy agreed upon with all parties represented in the State Great Khural.

The head of state makes proposals for the resignation of the government. On issues related to his powers, gives instructions to the government. If the president issues a decree on these issues, it comes into force after it is signed by the prime minister.

The President also confers honorary state titles, the highest military ranks, and awards orders and medals; grants pardon; resolves issues of accepting and renouncing Mongolian citizenship and granting political asylum; exercises leadership over the National Security Council of Mongolia and has other powers.

How is the inauguration of a new president going?

Due to the appointment of the second round of the presidential elections, the public began to worry about the question: who will open the ceremony for the beginning of the Nadoma holiday on July 11. This is the biggest National holiday Mongolia, and according to the law, its opening is carried out by the head of state.

In this regard, the current President of Mongolia Tsakhia Elbegdorj wrote on his Twitter page:

“I talked with the speaker of parliament about the date of the inauguration of the elected president. The inauguration will be on July 10. We must quickly ensure preparations for the inauguration event.”

In accordance with the current legislation of Mongolia, within 10 days after the end of voting, the Main Election Committee is obliged to submit a decision recognizing the victory of the candidate who received the majority of votes. After which the State Great Khural must pass a law recognizing the candidate as the elected president and his powers.

The inauguration begins with a speech at a session of parliament by its speaker. The new president takes the oath of office, then the most senior member of parliament, according to Mongolian tradition, presents the head of state with a silver cup of milk. After this, the president addresses the people with an official statement.

Who is he, the new president?

Khaltmaa Battulga is known in Mongolia as a major businessman. Although he was twice elected to parliament, he is better known to the country's citizens as “Zhenko” Battulga. “Zhenko” is the name of the business group he founded, mainly engaged in activities in the field of tourism.

Khaltmaa Battulga was born in 1963 in the city of Ulaanbaatar. Has average professional education. By profession he is an artist.

Before the beginning political career was also known as an athlete. Khaltmaa Battulga was a member of the Mongolia national sambo team from 1979 to 1990.

During the election campaign, many people opposed his candidacy precisely because he did not have enough education to hold the position of president. In response to this, Khaltmaa Battulga gave the following explanation during the televised debate:

“It’s hard for an athlete to graduate from university. I studied at the university 4 times. But then I didn’t study for more than 45 days, because I had to participate in competitions on behalf of the university.”

Since 1990 he has been engaged in private business.

He won the parliamentary elections held in 2004 and became a member of the State Great Khural.

From 2008 to 2012 he served as Minister of Transport, Construction and Urban Development.

During the parliamentary elections of 2012, he won again and served as a member of parliament until 2016, along with this, from 2012 to 2014, he served as Minister of Production and Agriculture.

Many scandals and rumors are associated with his name. One of them concerns the illegal import of alcohol in 1997, known in Mongolia as the “17 Containers of Alcohol Case.” Numerous people were questioned in connection with the criminal case, including Khaltmaa Battulga and his relatives. But in the end, the investigation was never completed and the case was closed. In 2016, the current presidential candidate became a suspect in a case of abuse of power, which is still not completed.

Little is known about his family. According to media reports, Khaltmaa Battulga is married for the second time. His chosen one is a native of Russia Angelica Davain, citizen of Mongolia. Khaltmaa Battulga protects his wife from prying eyes, so the Mongols have never seen the new first lady. She did not appear in public even during the election campaign. At all meetings and even events related to the celebration of the victory, the candidate was accompanied by his eldest daughter Khaliun Battulga. It is not yet clear whether the president's wife will attend the opening ceremony of the Nadoma holiday, where, according to Mongolian traditions, the first lady must be present.

In the vastness of the Mongolian steppe, where Genghis Khan was born, appeared strong man. Literally and figuratively. Mongolia's President Khaltmaa Battulga is a former world martial arts champion who still trains regularly. The President of Mongolia is a friend of Vladimir Putin and a business tycoon with a cool image.

He is also a nationalist and something of a populist. Battulga took office last year, casting himself as a Trump-like outsider, a champion of the poor, an opponent of the corrupt and selfish political elite.

Like the US President, this is a man who says he always wins, whose campaign motto was "Mongolia will win." But now he is struggling with a new challenge in his life.

The Mongols overthrew an authoritarian communist regime in 1990 in a peaceful democratic revolution. Nearly three decades of democracy have produced not only progress but also gross inequality, leaving nearly 30% of the population in poverty. Corruption is rampant, the dark side of the country has huge reserves of copper, coal and gold.

“I asked before the elections, and I’m asking the question again,” the gruff Battulga said at a meeting last month, “Why do people living in the country. rich in resources, still so poor?”

H. Battulga rose from poverty to the highest position in the country, he is a successful athlete, a successful businessman, now he is trying his hand at politics, but his power as the president of the society constantly collides with the activities of a competing political party. Battulga plays an important role in setting the country's foreign policy, but his ambitions are much greater.

For the past three months, he has been traveling around Mongolia, holding meetings in each of the country's 21 aimags, asking for popular support in his struggle to improve the country's governance.

“Do you feel like the president we elected is on his own?” - he asked the gathered people. “It’s time to start talking about more than just the president. The president plus who? The president plus people working together for the good of society.”

Luvsandendev Sumati, director of the independent polling organization Sant Marala, draws parallels between the recent elections in Mongolia and the United States.

After the messiest presidential election in Mongolia's history, he said, many people stayed away or cast blank ballots in protest. Ultimately, however, Battulga's anti-establishment status outweighed questions about his business and past corruption allegations.

“The poor have decided that he is their president, and once the people decide that, they are ready to forgive everything,” Sumati said. “Anti-establishment politicians are taking over the whole world. Why should Mongolia be different?”

It is the most sparsely populated country in the world, covering the area of ​​Texas, California and Montana combined, but only 3 million people live in this area. And they live in the giant shadows of Russia in the north and China in the south. Culturally, Mongolia is closer to its northern neighbor, but economically it is dependent on its rapidly developing southern neighbor, which accounts for more than 80% of Mongolian exports.

However, mistrust of China is running high in the country, and Battulga took advantage of this to portray himself as a pro-Moscow, anti-Beijing candidate during his election campaign. As president, however, he takes a more pragmatic approach, saying Mongolia should be friends with both countries, but a “rebalancing” would help reduce China's trade dominance.

Former president of the Mongolian Judo Association, H. Battulga shares a love of wrestling and friendship with Putin.

Battulga in gym in Ulaanbaatar on May 26. (Julia Marchi for The Washington Post)

A man shows his tattoo with a portrait of H. Battulga in Ulaanbaatar. (Julia Marchi for The Washington Post)

“Because we both trained in judo, it’s easier for us to communicate,” the Mongolian president said in an interview, noting that Putin is also “the president of a country that has been our neighbor for thousands of years.”

But Battulga also wants American support. In 1990, the United States promised to become democratic Mongolia's “third neighbor,” a pledge echoed by President George W. Bush during his 2005 visit to Mongolia. More recently, Secretary of State John F. Kerry called Mongolia an “oasis of democracy” between Russia and China.

Yet U.S.-Mongolian defense and security ties are far stronger than economic ties, which account for less than 2 percent of Mongolian trade.

“The US's claim that Mongolia is an 'oasis of democracy or a model of democracy' has not contributed significantly to the economy,” Battulga wrote in a letter to President Trump in December. “Discouraged by this fact, ordinary citizens of Mongolia are losing confidence in democracy and doubting the choice of the democratic path.”

Battulga asked for better conditions for Mongolian textile exports to the United States. Trump responded that he would be happy to explore ways to promote trade in a “fair and equitable manner.”

H. Battulga began his business life modestly. After graduating from art school, he sold paintings to tourists in Ulaanbaatar, and also sewed and sold jeans, and then sold electronics imported from abroad. He used the prize money and international connections, purchased at sambo tournaments to ensure your start.

Taxi, television station and nightclub, and lottery business. During the privatization of state assets, he acquired controlling shares in a hotel and a meat processing plant. But he was also forced to flee the country for 6 months after he was falsely accused of illegally importing alcohol, according to his friend and biographer Dorjkhanda Tormonkha. Another corruption investigation followed the recent appointment of a roads and transport minister, but no charges were brought.

Battulga emphasized his nationalist sentiments by constructing a giant statue of Genghis Khan on horseback at an amusement park outside the capital. He asserted his populist credentials by promising to use mining revenues to pay off the personal debts of ordinary Mongols.

H. Battulga at a book exhibition on Sukhbaatar Square in Ulaanbaatar. (Julia Marchi for The Washington Post)

Today Battulga is the most popular politician in Mongolia. These are the results shown by polls from the Sant Maral center. Still, many questions remain: Is the president, with his vast business empire, part of the solution or part of the problem?

As president, he must set aside party affiliations and unite the nation, but is his nationwide tour a genuine attempt to raise and solve problems - or an attempt to seize personal power and launch an election campaign for his party ahead of the 2020 parliamentary elections? Is he a real man of the people or a wannabe?

There were numerous complaints at the meetings. These included requests for the liquidation of offshore accounts and funds of the political elite, as well as pleas for better conditions labor for workers. Some spoke out against Chinese workers in Mongolia, others against overcrowding in schools.

The president listened patiently for more than an hour before blaming voters for giving the rival Mongolian People's Party a dominant position in the 2016 parliamentary elections.

“One party won 65 out of 76 seats,” he said. “They have seats, they have opportunities, but unfortunately they have done nothing in the last two years.”

At least one listener accused the president of being no better than his rivals.

“You blame the voters, saying it’s our fault for electing thieves,” he said. - “Look at our lives, look at the state in which our children live. The Chinese are now the owners of Mongolia. The country is on the verge of disaster. I elected you. I voted for you. But Mongolia will only “win” if we get rid of both parties.”

Donald Trump is a big fan of golf, Vladimir Putin is into judo and hockey, and his Turkish colleague Recep Erdogan is into football. The President of Mongolia Khaltmaagiin Battulga also achieved great success in politics and sports. He trained in sambo and sumo wrestling and has been going to the gym since a young age.

For his pumped up muscles and excellent fitness, the British publication Metro called 56-year-old Battulga not a politician, but a real superman.

From sport to business

In his younger years, the president practiced judo, sumo and sambo, in which he became the world champion in 1983. This victory brought the guy fame in his native Mongolia. However, he did not limit himself to sports. Khaltmaagiin Battulga is a renowned artist, studied art at the university and is an active member of the Mongolian Artists Association.

After retiring from sports, Khaltmaagiin Battulga went into business. At first he sold jeans at the market, transported video cameras from Singapore, and then opened the Genco company, which decades later became a large holding.

The corporation is engaged in the production and sale of food products, mining, finance, design, information technology and tourism.

In 2008, Khaltmaagiin Battulga, near Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, built a 40-meter statue of Genghis Khan. The monument cost more than four million dollars.

In 2004, Khaltmaagiin Battulga became a member of the Mongolian parliament. Later he served as Minister of Transport, Industry, and Agriculture. In 2017, Battulga was nominated by the Democratic Party for the presidency, and won the election.

New President

The current Mongolian president is one of the richest people in the country, but he refused to live in the highly guarded presidential residence. Instead, Battulga settled in the center of Ulaanbaatar in small house.

Despite his busy schedule, the President of Mongolia spends several hours a day working out in the gym. Khaltmaagiin personally supervises the preparation of Mongolian athletes for competitions and promises rewards for victories.

The President walks to work, thereby showing officials that it is time to become simpler and give up luxury. When the president's motorcade does travel through the city, its cars stop at crossings and allow pedestrians to pass.

A descendant of the steppe rich people, Battulga is now married for the second time to a Russian. His wife, Angelika (Olesya) Battulga, is Russian by nationality, a citizen of Mongolia.

President Khaltmaagiin Battulga considers his main task to be attracting investment and tourists to the country. To do this, he began the fight against the Mongolian oligarchs and is improving the environmental situation in the capital Ulaanbaatar.

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