There is no outright winner in Mongolia's presidential election, forcing the country's first ever second-round run-off between the two leading candidates, the country's General Election Committee says.
The populist former martial arts star Khaltmaa Battulga of the opposition Democratic Party won the most votes on Monday, but failed to secure the majority required, the committee said on Tuesday.
After the final districts were counted overnight, Battulga emerged with 517,478 votes, 38.1 per cent of the total, according to Mongolian state television.
Ruling Mongolian People's Party (MPP) candidate Miyeegombo Enkhbold, regarded as pro-investment and market-friendly, scraped through to the second round with 411,748 votes, 30.3 per cent of the total.
The election was seen as referendum on the government's economic recovery plans and China's role in the country.
Battulga is regarded as a resource nationalist who is suspicious of neighbouring China, while Enkhbold, an establishment politician and parliamentary speaker, appears to have suffered as a result of his party's austerity policies.
Share
