INDEPENDENT MPS BACK CHANGES IN GOVERNMENT

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ Independently-elected three parliamentarians have backed new structure and composition of the cabinet, about which has been proposed by the PM. They expressed this position during a press conference on Monday and pointed out that even more ministries could be merged. Appointments of new members of the cabinet should be scrutinized, meaning the new Ministers must be professionals closely related to relevant Ministries, they said, "the reason is that those from any political parties or factions may worsen the potential of the state works". The current election and political party laws should be altered in order to abolish a system by which Ministers are appointed in view of their political parties, they added. S.Ganbaatar said an increase in the Oyu Tolgoi project's budget "is causing a pressure on the state budget, while the 'Erdenet' Mining Corporation still makes 80% of the national budget, so we must receive a report from the related officials." "We expected that, after Mongolian leaders signed the OT treaty five years ago, Mongolia would earn much revenue in a foreign currency from the OT mine," he stressed and added nowadays management of the Bank of Mongolia (BoM) "deserves a criticism, it is necessary to hear a report from the BoM president". A struggle will be co-organized with the Trade Unions "to protest the cause of a poor life of majority of people", he stressed. Kh.Bolorchuluun said they oppose a policy on minimizing a number of strategic mineral deposits "because it could lead to a bad exploitation of deposits".