Mongolia’s government is orchestrating a calculated “bad cop, good cop” strategy to drive economic reform—balancing a tough anti-corruption stance with a pro-business agenda.
On one side is populist politician Jalbasurengiin Batzandan of the Democratic Party (DP), the junior coalition partner in Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene’s government.
On the other, the PM himself, who presents a more measured, investor-friendly approach.
The Bad Cop: A Bull in a China Shop
Batzandan, appointed as the Government’s Plenipotentiary Representative under the National Wealth Fund Law, has taken an uncompromising stand against decades of corruption in the mining sector.
Known for his independent-minded and vocal approach, Batzandan is like a bull in a china shop—charging at entrenched interests and exposing illicit practices. He targets a handful of oligarchs who allegedly acquired strategic mineral deposits through illegal means during the murky privatization processes of the 1990s and early 2000s.