Sanjiin Bayar

In this Mongolian name, the given name is Bayar. Sanj is a patronymic, not a family name.

Sanjiin Bayar
Санжийн Баяр
Bayar in 2009
25th Prime Minister of Mongolia
In office
22 November 2007 – 29 October 2009
PresidentNambaryn Enkhbayar
Deputy
Preceded byMiyeegombyn Enkhbold
Succeeded bySükhbaataryn Batbold
Chairman of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party
In office
22 November 2007 – 8 April 2010
Preceded byMiyeegombyn Enkhbold
Succeeded bySükhbaataryn Batbold
Member of the State Great Khural
In office
29 July 2008 – 6 July 2012
Constituency23rd Sukhbaatar District, Ulaanbaatar
Member of the State Baga Khural
In office
13 September 1990 – 29 July 1992
Personal details
Born (1956-12-24) 24 December 1956 (age 69)
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolian People's Republic
PartyMongolian People's Party
Spouse(s)Orsoogiin Gereltuya (Divorced)
Khashbatyn Khulan (Divorced)
Children3 daughters, 1 son (By Gereltuya)
1 daughter (By Khulan)
2 daughters (By Ariunsuvd)[1][2]
Alma materMoscow State University (Faculty of Law)
ProfessionLawyer, journalist
Military service
Allegiance Mongolian People's Republic
Branch/service Mongolian People's Army
Years of service1979–1983
RankCaptain

Sanjiin Bayar (Mongolian: Санжийн Баяр, IPA: [sˈɑnʒyjn bˈɑj͡ar]; born 24 December 1956), sometimes referred to as Sanjaagiin Bayar, is a Mongolian politician who served as the 25th Prime Minister of Mongolia from 2007 to 2009.[3] He was a member of the State Baga Khural from 1990 until its dissolution in 1992,[4] member of the State Great Khural from 2008 to 2012[5] and Chairman of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (current MPP) from 2007 to 2010.

During his tenure as prime minister, violent riots occurred in 2008 due to alleged electoral fraud that led to a declaration of a state of emergency for the first time in Mongolia's modern history and a longstanding political crisis between the major political parties.[6] Furthermore, Mongolia was hit with the 2008 financial crisis, which led to a brief economic stagnation and downturn as mineral prices collapsed.[7]

Despite securing another term in the 2008 elections, he announced on 26 October 2009, that he was going to resign his position as prime minister for health reasons.[8] He was succeeded by Sükhbaataryn Batbold on 29 October 2009.

Early life

Bayar was born in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, on 24 December 1956.[9]

His father's given name on official government documents was Sanj, but when he entered the National University of Mongolia, an extra "aa" was mistakenly added to his name and it became "Sanjaa" on his diploma. Due to these issues with state registration, Bayar's patronymic name has since then been frequently inconsistent.

According to Bayar's birth certificate, his official name is Sanjaagiin Ulziibayar. But when he entered a Russian kindergarten, the administration registered Bayar's full name as "Sandjaagiyn Uldziibair". His father infuriated by Bayar's russified name, shortened his name from "Sanjaagiin Ulziibayar" to "Sanjiin Bayar" when registering Bayar to elementary school.[10] Many foreign media outlets and even official Mongolian government sources wrongly refer to Bayar as "Sanjaagiin Bayar", causing misconception about his surname.

In 1978, he completed his law degree at the Moscow State University. From 1979 to 1983, he worked as an junior officer at the General Staff of Mongolian Armed Forces. From 1983 to 1990, Bayar worked as a journalist and editor at the Montsame and Mongolpress news agencies.

From 1990 to 1992 until its dissolution, he was elected MPRP member of the State Baga Khural.[4] From 1992 to 1997, he taught at the Academy of Social Sciences, studied in Washington, D.C., and was director of the Mongolian Ministry of Defense's Institute for Strategic Studies. From 1997 to 2001, he was the chairman of the Mongolian Presidential office, and from 2001 to 2005 he was Mongolia's Ambassador to Russia.

He is twice divorced, and has seven children.

Political career

Bayar joined the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) in 1988. He became General Secretary of the MPRP in 2005 and was – by 377 to 229 votes – elected Chairman of the MPRP at a party congress in October 2007, defeating incumbent Miyeegombyn Enkhbold. The same congress also voted in favor of Bayar becoming the next prime minister.[11][12] The Parliament approved Bayar as the next Prime Minister of Mongolia on 22 November 2007, with 67 votes in favor (97.1%) and two against.[13]

Prime Minister Sanjiin Bayar in 2008

He began his career as prime minister with verbal attacks[citation needed] (speech at his appointment) against Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj and the nationalisation of the 15% share of Mongolian companies in the Tavantolgoi mine, making it a 100% public venture, thus inducing enthusiasm of Russian companies in the large coal deposit.[14] Most of the members of a three-party coalition government, led by Bayar and dominated by the MPRP, were approved by the State Great Khural on 5 December 2007; the government included Bayar's predecessor, Miyeegombyn Enkhbold, as Deputy Prime Minister. This government was planned to serve until the June 2008 parliamentary election.[15]

On 11 September 2008, following the MPRP's victory in the June election, Bayar was elected as the new Prime Minister of the coalition government between the MPRP and DP.[16] Under his leadership, the Government of Mongolia finally signed an investment agreement to mine the Oyu Tolgoi copper deposit.[17] The deal was later revealed that in fact it was in favor of the investors. According to some sources, after his resignation he moved to the US and bought several properties on his daughter and relatives names. Later it was found that he has several offshore accounts. It is believed that he still has influences on MPP which is confirmed by a leaked video footage in which he gives advice to Miyeegombyn Enkhbold, the official head of the party, for his presidential election speech preparation.[citation needed]

2008 state of emergency

On 1 July 2008, Nambaryn Enkhbayar, then-President of Mongolia announced a state of emergency in the midnight after the riot was over. During the riots, the police chased civilians and shot four civilians to death from their backs and severely injured a dozen of civilians to life disability in streets different from demonstration or riot location. Also the police arrested approximately 1000 people in street or from random locations whether connected to the riot or not and imprisoned them including children and women without legal advocacy and inhumanely and degradingly treated them with torture involved as they claimed and later released some of them and sentenced some of them. Victims, and their families, civil societies claim the responsibility to President Enkhbayar who announced the state of emergency in the middle of night – uncustomary hour of announcing state of emergency and shooting civilians without weapons in streets by chasing them and shooting them from their backs in random locations. A wounded teenager to lifelong disability and witnesses confirmed that they were shot by the police.[18]

The police is the state enforcement agency under the government, thus President Nambaryn Enkhbayar, Prime Minister Sanjiin Bayar and Minister of Justice Tsendiin Mönkh-Orgil have been blamed by the victims, their families, and civil societies for the deaths.

Declining health and resignation

Bayar was admitted to a hospital in Ulaanbaatar in October 2009.[9] Because of his declining health, Bayar announced his resignation in a letter to the State Great Khural one week later on 26 October 2009.[9] A meeting held two days later confirmed that the parliament had accepted his resignation.[9] Bayar apologised to those who had voted for him.[9] Norovyn Altankhuyag, the First Deputy Prime Minister, temporarily moved up as Bayar's replacement.[9] Bayar then was succeeded by Sükhbaataryn Batbold on 29 October 2009.

On 8 April 2010, Sanjiin Bayar read his written request to resign from the chairmanship of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party due to declining health reasons to the conference of the party and then was replaced by Sükhbaataryn Batbold for the position on the same day from the party conference.[19]

Arrest

On 11 April 2018, Bayar and Chimediin Saikhanbileg, another former prime minister of Mongolia, were arrested by the anti-graft agency of Mongolia.[20][needs update]

References

  1. ^ "His daughter born on the threshold of his 60th becomes medicine to heal S.Bayar". factnews.mn (in Mongolian). 25 March 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  2. ^ "Young wives of ex-Prime Minister S.Bayar and Prime Minister N.Altankhuyag are pregnant and the politicians over 50s are preparing to welcome their youngest children when born". shuurhai.mn (in Mongolian). 11 October 2012. Archived from the original on 28 July 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  3. ^ "Sanj Bayar elected Mongolia prime minister". Reuters. 22 November 2007. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
  4. ^ a b "Улсын Бага Хурлын гишүүд /1990-1992 он/". Parliament.mn - Монгол Улсын Их Хурал (in Mongolian). Archived from the original on 19 May 2025. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
  5. ^ "Тав дахь удаагийн сонгуулиар байгуулагдсан Монгол Улсын Их Хурал /2008-2012 он/". Parliament.mn - Монгол Улсын Их Хурал (in Mongolian). Archived from the original on 3 November 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
  6. ^ "Violent protest after Mongolia poll". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
  7. ^ "Mongolia economic retrospective : 2008-2010". World Bank. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
  8. ^ "Mongolian Prime Minister steps down for health reasons". Brecorder. 27 October 2009. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
  9. ^ a b c d e f "Mongolian parliament accepts PM's resignation". Xinhua News Agency. 28 October 2009. Archived from the original on 31 October 2009. Retrieved 30 October 2009.
  10. ^ Sanj, Bayar [@SBayar12] (3 April 2024). "Наадах чинь улсын бүртгэлтэй холбоотой урт түүхтэй" (Tweet). Retrieved 25 August 2025 – via Twitter.
  11. ^ "Aktuelle Nachrichten aus der Mongolei/ 22. bis 28. Oktober 2007". mongoleionline.de. 28 October 2007. Retrieved 30 October 2007.
  12. ^ "Unen.mn-Санжаагийн Баяр". Ünen. n.d. Archived from the original on 20 May 2008. Retrieved 30 October 2007.
  13. ^ "Mongolia rushes to appoint new prime minister as a budget deadline looms", Associated Press (International Herald Tribune), 22 November 2007.
  14. ^ L. Mönhbayasgalan The Railways, Erdenet, Asgat and Tavantolgoi are gifts of S. Bayar to the Russians (С. Баярын оросуудад бэлдсэн бэлэг нь Төмөр зам, Эрдэнэт, Асгат, Тавантолгой) Archived 21 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Newspaper Ödriin Sonin. #291, 6 December 2007
  15. ^ "Mongolian Parliament approves new coalition government"[permanent dead link], IST, AFP (Times of India), 6 December 2007.
  16. ^ AFP: Mongolian parliament elects PM after turmoil Archived 20 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  17. ^ Investment Agreement on Oyu Tolgoi Deposit Signed Montsame, 6 October 2009
  18. ^ "J.Batzaya: I was shot by police officers". Ts.Khishigt for Daily News newspaper. 15 July 2008. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
  19. ^ "S.Batbold was elected as the party chairman". News.mn. 8 April 2010. Archived from the original on 10 April 2010. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
  20. ^ "Mongolia anti-graft agency arrests two prime ministers amid mine probe". U.S. Reuters. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanjaagiin_Bayar