Mongolian PM Resigns Amid Uproar Over Son’s Lavish Holiday

Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene has stepped down following public outrage over viral social media posts showing his son’s extravagant holiday, which triggered an anti-corruption investigation and two weeks of street protests.

Oyun-Erdene, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing, lost a confidence vote in parliament on Tuesday.

Of the 88 lawmakers who participated in the secret ballot, 44 voted in favour of the prime minister while 38 voted against him. However, he required the support of at least 64 of the 126-member parliament to retain office.

“It was an honour to serve my country and people in times of difficulties, including pandemics, wars, and tariffs,” Oyun-Erdene said after the vote.

The political storm erupted after photos, purportedly showing the prime minister’s son and his fiancée enjoying a luxurious overseas engagement holiday, surfaced on social media.

One widely circulated image showed a black Dior shoulder bag alongside several high-end shopping bags, with the caption: “Happy birthday to me”. Another image appeared to show the couple kissing in a swimming pool.

The photos sparked questions over how the PM’s family could afford such opulence, leading to a probe by Mongolia’s anti-corruption body. The incident touched a nerve in a country already grappling with allegations of high-level corruption and growing economic disparities.

Hundreds of protesters—many of them youths—have been demonstrating in the capital for the past two weeks, calling for Oyun-Erdene’s resignation and greater government accountability.

Despite stepping down, the outgoing prime minister accused his critics of orchestrating a smear campaign against him. However, international watchdog Transparency International has noted a deterioration in government transparency during his tenure, ranking Mongolia 114th out of 180 countries last year on its Corruption Perceptions Index.