ALIN Legislative News
From National Legal Institute of Mongolia
MONGOLIAN
LEGISLATIVE NEWS AND DEVELOPMENT
1. Constitutional Amendments Expand
Mongolia’s Parliament in Response to Population Growth
THE CONSTITUTION OF MONGOLIA (1992)
Article Twenty-one
1. The State Great Khural consists of
one chamber with 126 members. Elections for the State Great Khural will be
conducted using a mixed electoral system, with 78 members elected by majority
representation and 48 members elected by proportional representation.
(Oct. 16, 2024) Mongolia has taken a significant step in reshaping its
parliamentary structure, reflecting the nation’s evolving demographic and
political landscape. On May 31, 2023, a constitutional amendment was passed,
increasing the number of members in the State Great Khural, the country’s highest
legislative body, from 76 to 126. This expansion is seen as a crucial response
to Mongolia’s growing population, which has surged by 65.4% since the adoption
of the 1992 Constitution, reaching 3.5 million people.
The decision to expand the parliament aligns with widely recognized
political science principles, such as the cube root law, which suggests that
legislative representation should scale with population growth. Based on this
formula, researchers estimate that a country of Mongolia’s size and population
would ideally have 152 members in its national assembly to ensure effective
governance and representation. 1
In the original 1992 Constitution, each member of the State Great Khural
represented approximately 27,000 citizens. With the recent population growth,
the newly adopted parliamentary structure reduces this ratio slightly, with
each of the 126 members now representing about 26,970 citizens. This adjustment
is seen as an effort to enhance citizens’ representation and the legislature’s
ability to address their needs more effectively.
Moreover, the constitutional amendments introduce a mixed electoral system
that integrates both majority and proportional representation, aiming to foster
a more balanced and inclusive political environment. Under this system, 78
members of the State Great Khural will be elected by majority vote, giving
citizens in specific constituencies direct influence over their local
representatives. Meanwhile, 48 members will be elected through proportional
representation, allowing for a broader range of political voices to be heard on
a national level.
This shift reflects Mongolia’s commitment to ensuring fair representation
in its growing democracy, enhancing the legitimacy and responsiveness of its
parliamentary system. As Mongolia continues to develop economically and
politically, these reforms are seen as a necessary evolution to sustain a
functioning democracy in an increasingly complex society.
The amendments mark a significant milestone in Mongolia’s constitutional
history, and their success will be closely watched both domestically and
internationally. By enhancing the number of representatives and balancing
electoral mechanisms, Mongolia seeks to align its democratic institutions with
the demands of its growing and increasingly diverse population.