1997 Mongolian presidential election

1997 Mongolian presidential election

18 May 1997

Majority of the popular vote needed to prevent a run-off
Registered1,155,228
Turnout85.06% ( 7.67pp)
 
Nominee Natsagiin Bagabandi Punsalmaagiin Ochirbat
Party MPRP Democratic Union
Popular vote 597,573 292,896
Percentage 62.53% 30.65%

Results by province

President before election

Punsalmaagiin Ochirbat
MSDPMNDP

Elected President

Natsagiin Bagabandi
MPRP

Presidential elections were held in Mongolia on 18 May 1997. The result was a victory for Natsagiin Bagabandi of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party, who received 63% of the vote. Incumbent president Punsalmaagiin Ochirbat, who ran from the ruling Democratic Union Coalition (DUC), came in second with 30.65% nationwide, whilst the third-party candidate Jambyn Gombojav from the Mongolian Traditional United Party trailed with only 6.82%.

The 1997 presidential election is Mongolia's first-ever three-way presidential race. Voter turnout was 85%, a 7% drop from the previous election. The election of Bagabandi was described as a protest vote against the rapid economic reforms of the DUC government.