Mongolian Prime Minister Gombojav Zandanshatar gestures as he attends a vote on his dismissal, during a plenary session at the parliament in Ulaanbaatar, on October 17, 2025. BYAMBASUREN BYAMBA-OCHIR / AFP
Mongolian lawmakers ousted the country's prime minister on Friday, October 17, just four months after he took office in the wake of youth-led protests. The country is facing a combustive political cocktail of widespread corruption, rising living costs and concerns over the economy.
Gombojav Zandanshatar, 55, took office in June after thousands of young people demonstrated in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, venting frustration at wealthy elites and what they saw as pervasive corruption and injustice. They called for then-prime minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene to step down and got their wish when he lost a confidence vote.
A majority of parliamentarians voted to dismiss Zandanshatar following weeks of political infighting and a dispute over a policy that changed how mineral exporters are taxed. Zandanshatar will stay on as a caretaker prime minister until his successor is appointed within 30 days.
Contested minerals policy
