Washington D.C. – On December 10, 1989, a group of 300 young Mongolians came together and announced the birth of the Mongolian Democratic Union (MDU), the first political force to challenge the Communist single-party system in the country.
At the same meeting, the newly-formed MDU voiced the demands of the Mongolian people for the Communist regime to cede power, allow a democratic multi-party system of government, grant civil rights to citizens and enforce freedom of the press in the country. Throughout the past 25 years, the democratic revolution transformed Mongolia from a closed society ruled by a repressive single-party Communist system into a free and open society that functions as a dynamic multi-party democracy. At the same time, Mongolia and its citizens have opened up to the international community, gaining access to travel freely around the world, opening their markets to foreign investment and expanding independent foreign policy and multilateral cooperation. The International Republican Institute is proud to have played a small role in helping the Mongolian people achieve their goal of a more democratic, open and transparent country.
For a complete look at the interactive timeline click here.
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