Ex-PM secures Mongolia's top job

ULAANBAATAR－Former Mongolian prime minister Ukhnaa Khurelsukh has won the country's presidential election, further consolidating the status of the ruling Mongolian People's Party, or MPP.

MPP Chairman Khurelsukh, who resigned as prime minister earlier this year, defeated Sodnomzundui Erdene of the opposition Democratic Party and Dangaasuren Enkhbat of the Right Person Electorate Coalition in a national vote, the General Election Committee, or GEC, said.

"A total of 1,216,246 people cast their votes in the election, or 59.35 percent of all eligible voters. The candidate from the MPP, Khurelsukh, obtained 67.76 percent of the votes," Purevee Delgernaran, head of the GEC, said at a news conference.