MongoliaThe Political Process
Posters of Gorbachev, Batmonh, Lenin, and
Sukhe Bator, May Day parade, 1988, Ulaanbaatar
Courtesy Steve Mann
Since 1924 the Mongolian political system and apparatus,
patterned after those in the Soviet Union, has followed the
organizational principle of democratic centralism. As applied in
the Soviet Union, this principle concentrates decision-making
authority and the power to take policy initiatives at senior
party levels. Throughout the party system, the decisions of
higher-level bodies are binding on subordinate-level party
organizations. The democratic feature of this Leninist principle
prescribes that members of party organizations at all levels are
elected by conferences of delegates and are accountable to their
respective electorates. Policy issues are to be discussed freely
within the party organizations, but once final decisions
(expressed in programs) are adopted, strict party discipline then
dictates that policies be implemented exactly, without any
further expressions of disagreement.
Data as of June 1989
|