Mongolia holds an election Friday. Its people see the government as benefiting the wealthy

Associated Press

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (AP) — A parliamentary election will be held in Mongolia on Friday for the first time since the body was expanded to 126 seats, adding some uncertainty to a system that has been monopolized by two political parties and plagued by corruption. The election in a relatively new democracy — the country was a single-party communist state until 1990 — comes at a time when many Mongolians have soured on the government, which they see as benefiting business interests and the wealthy. One Mongolian who earns money taking photos of tourists in the capital’s central square says, “We have democracy only in appearance.” The ruling Mongolian People’s Party is favored to win, though that is not a foregone conclusion.