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MongoliaGovernment and Politics
Mongolia - Unavailable
The flag of the Mongolian People's Republic; it
symbolically proclaims wisdom, liberty, peace, and justice
THE MONGOLIAN PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC was undergoing a major transition
in the development of its government and political institutions
in the late 1980s. Beginning in 1984, the country had embarked on
a program to restructure its political and economic system in
ways that engaged the entire population and made it responsible
and accountable for the country's modernization. Much of the
inspiration for this program came from the Soviet Union's
examples of
glasnost (see Glossary) and
perestroika
(see Glossary).
Nevertheless, in developing its policies, Mongolia's senior
leadership displayed a realistic awareness not only of the severe
challenges, but also of the opportunities, afforded by Mongolia's
unique political, social, economic, and geophysical conditions.
There were efforts by mid-1989 to revive key elements of the
Mongolian cultural heritage. This effort apparently was inspired
by the recognized need to instill vitality in a polity long
stifled by the wholesale imposition of Soviet models. Openings to
the West, including the 1987 establishment of diplomatic
relations with the United States, increased Mongolia's options
within the international diplomatic community and provided
additional developmental models. Finally, by mid-1989, the
gradual normalizing of Sino-Soviet relations had helped
significantly to reduce the tensions inherent in Mongolia's
strategic location, enveloped between these giant countries,
which facilitated a resurgence of Mongolian national identity and
allowed a small measure of Mongolian political independence.
Data as of June 1989
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