Khaltmaagiin Battulga

Khaltmaagiin Battulga ( ; born 3 March 1963), also referred to as Battulga Khaltmaa , is a Mongolian politician and sambo wrestler who served as the fifth president of Mongolia from 2017 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a member of the State Great Khural (parliament) from 2004 to 2016 and Minister of Roads, Transportation, Construction, and Urban Development from 2008 to 2012.

Before his career in politics, Battulga was a sambo wrestling champion. He was the Democratic Party's candidate in the 2017 presidential election and was elected president with 50.6% in the run-off, the first-ever run-off election in modern Mongolian history. Mongolians are divided about his role in the 2019 Mongolian constitutional crisis. After the constitutional amendments of 2019, which limited the presidential term to a non-renewable six year term, Battulga was barred from running a second term. He was subsequently succeeded by president-elect Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh in 2021. After leaving office, Battulga was elected as a member of parliament for the fourth time in the 2024 parliamentary election.

Background Battulga was born on 3 March 1963 in Ulaanbaatar. Battulga is the second child of three children. His father and mother are both from Bayankhongor Province. In 1978, he graduated from the 10-year 34th secondary school in Ulaanbaatar. In 1982, he graduated from the School of Fine Arts of Mongolia with a degree in painting.

Battulga was fascinated with The Godfather and named his first company Genco, the name of the olive oil importing company in the film. Genco acquired controlling interests during the privatization of state-owned assets such as Bayangol Hotel and meat-processing factory Makh-Impex in 1997 and 1999, respectively. Battulga was awarded a Merited Sportsman of Mongolia in 1995 and became Chairman of the Mongolian Judo Federation in 2006. In 2012, he was appointed Minister of Industry and Agriculture of Mongolia, serving until 2014 when Prime Minister Norovyn Altankhuyag resigned.

Election Presidential elections were held on 26 June 2017. Incumbent President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj was constitutionally barred from running for a third term. Battulga ran in the election representing the Democratic Party. He ran against former Prime Minister and then-Speaker Miyeegombyn Enkhbold of the Mongolian People's Party. For the first time, no candidate received a majority of the vote in the first round, forcing a run-off between Battulga and Enkhbold on 7 July, brought forward from 9 July. In the second round, Battulga was narrowly elected with 50.61% of the popular vote.

The "Mongolia Will Win" , or simply "Moya" , grassroots movement emerged from President Battulga's 2017 election slogan, "Mongolia Will Win". The term "Moya" is derived from this slogan, similar to MAGA by Donald Trump in the United States. Moya activists are a diverse, impassioned group bound by a shared sense of Mongolian nationalism and a deep distrust of the political establishment. thumb Battulga with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C.

Presidency (2017–2021)

Inauguration Battulga's inauguration took place at the Government Palace on 10 July 2017 in the presence of Prime Minister Jargaltulgyn Erdenebat and outgoing president Elbegdorj. In his presidential address, he laid out the principles for his term, including one for the industrialization of the country. He also said that he would work to maintain and expand the good-neighbor relations with Russia and China and would "pay utmost attention" to the third neighbor policy, referring to the United States. After the ceremony, he went outside to lay wreaths at the monuments to Damdin Sükhbaatar and Chinggis Khaan. He also received state heraldry, including the State seal of Mongolia and the presidential certificate.

Since he became president, Battulga has made it standard practice for people to put their hand on their heart during the performance of the national anthem of Mongolia by a concert or military band, as well as a vocal performance.

Domestic policy

Death penalty

Within days of his inauguration, he took measures to reinstate the death penalty for sexual offenders, which came days after the death penalty was completely abolished in the country. On 16 October, Battulga announced the formation of an expert group to look into the reinstatement of the death penalty for premeditated murder and rape. The following month, he submitted his proposal to the justice and interior ministry. In a speech to the during the opening of the autumn session of the State Great Khural, he claimed that a systemic social crisis is to blame for the national challenges that posed a threat to the country.

Constitutional crisis On 27 March 2019, the State Great Khural began a constitutional crisis when it adopted an unprecedented law that gave the National Security Council of Mongolia the power to recommend the dismissal of judges and prosecutors, as well as the head of the national anti-corruption service. Battulga's political party, the opposition's main minority faction in the parliament, claims that the law undermines the country's constitutional separation of powers and the larger Mongolian democratic system.

Disbandment of the MPP In April 2021, Battulga issued an emergency directive to disband the MPP "in order to safeguard the sovereignty and democracy of the country" after the MPP passed amendments to the constitution. The constitutional amendments, which took effect in May 2020, limits one's presidency to one term, making Battulga ineligible to re-run in the 2021 presidential election. At the same time, he also condemned the formation of a “Mongolian Military Union” as 'a parallel military structure" that "threatens the country's democratic foundations" and "endangers the fundamental rights and interests of our citizens and constitution." Luvsanvandangiin Bold, former Minister of Defense and current Battulga's Advisor on National Security warned that the creation of the union "will lead to the creation of quasi-fascist regime.”

Foreign policy

East Asia Battulga is largely seen as a pro-Russian politician and a Russophile due to his Russian ties and his knowledge of the Russian language. He is commonly compared to Russian President Vladimir Putin due to their shared love and experience in judo. When he spoke to Putin during a summit in eastern Russia in September 2017, Putin said that the shared sport will help "develop a good working and personal relationship".

Battulga has in recent years criticized the Mongolian economy's dependence on China.

On 14 June 2018, after the conclusion of the Singapore Summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump, Battulga congratulated both leaders, telling Kim that he considers the summit as a "landmark event not only for the North Korea–United States relations but for the Northeast Asian region and the Korean Peninsula". Battulga was widely expected to host the summit as the Mongolian head of state due to the fact that the country has sponsored many regional summits in recent years and is easily accessible by train from Pyongyang, North Korea. Days after the summit, Battulga invited Kim to Ulaanbaatar for a state visit in honor of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

Others In mid-March 2018, Battulga appealed to U.S. President Trump via telegram to more trade relations, saying an economic downturn threatened to destabilize Mongolia, and that although Mongolia is an "oasis of democracy", this "does not contribute to economic development" in a region where authoritarianism (China and Russia) is on the rise. The United States is one of Mongolia's so-called Third Neighbors, which Battulga said that U.S. trade and investment could help prevent the return of authoritarian in Mongolia. During a visit to Kyrgyzstan in June 2019, Battulga opened the Mongolian Embassy in Bishkek.

International trips as president List of foreign visits by Khaltmaagiin Battulga Date Country City Type of visit/Reason for visit 29 August–1 September 2017 Budapest 2017 World Judo Championships 4–7 September 2017 Vladivostok Eastern Economic Forum 9–10 June 2018 China Qingdao Shanghai Cooperation Organisation 11–13 September 2018 Vladivostok Eastern Economic Forum 24 September 2018 Baku Working visit 18–19 October 2018 Brussels 12th Asia-Europe Meeting Summit 22–26 October 2018 Geneva 2018 World Investment Forum 24–28 April 2019 China Beijing State visit 12–14 June 2019 Bishkek State visit 30 July–1 August 2019 Washington, D.C. State visit 4–5 September 2019 Vladivostok Eastern Economic Forum 18–23 September 2019 New Delhi State visit 19 January 2020 Davos World Economic Forum 27 January 2020 Oslo Working visit 27 February 2020 China Beijing State visit

Private life He lives with Angelique Davain, a Russian by nationality and native of the Khentii Province. His legal wife, Ts. Enkhtuya was the director of the Nüüdelchin Company. He is a father to two sets of twin sons and one daughter. Aside from Mongolian, Battulga speaks Russian and English.

John Bolton wrote in his book The Room Where It Happened that Battulga's son served in Afghanistan for a US-led multinational force.

Residence In 2017, newly elected Battulga said that he intended to live in the "Winter Palace" in central Ulaanbaatar, also known as the Marshal's Residence, in a break from tradition. The two story-building was originally the residence of Marshal Khorloogiin Choibalsan. It is located between Peace Avenue and Seoul Street (next to the 1st School and the Russian Embassy). Being roughly 400 meters from the State House, he insisted to stay there so that he can walk to work.

Battulga is also President of the Mongolian Judo Association. Under his guidance, Mongolian judoka Tuvshinbayar Naidan became an Olympic judo champion in Beijing 2008. As such, judo has become one of the most popular sports in Mongolia.