View source for Nambaryn Enkhbayar

{{Short description|3rd President of Mongolia from 2005 to 2009}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{family name hatnote|Enkhbayar|Nambar|lang=Mongolian}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Nambaryn Enkhbayar
| native_name         = {{nobold|Намбарын Энхбаяр}}
| image               = Намбарын Энхбаяр (cropped 2).jpg
| office4             = [[Chairman of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party]]
| term_start4         = 6 June 1997
| term_end4           = 22 November 2005
| predecessor4        = [[Natsagiin Bagabandi]]
| successor4          = [[Miyeegombyn Enkhbold]]
| office5             = [[General Secretary of the Mongolian People's Party]]
| term_start5         = 5 October 1996
| term_end5           = 7 February 1997
| predecessor5        = [[Büdragchaagiin Dash-Yondon]]
| successor5          = [[Natsagiin Bagabandi]]
| order               = 3rd
| office              = President of Mongolia
| primeminister       = [[Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj]]<br />[[Miyeegombyn Enkhbold]]<br />[[Sanjaagiin Bayar]]
| term_start          = 24 June 2005
| term_end            = 18 June 2009
| predecessor         = [[Natsagiin Bagabandi]]
| successor           = [[Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj]]
| order2              = 22nd
| office2             = Prime Minister of Mongolia
| president2          = [[Natsagiin Bagabandi]]
| term_start2         = 26 July 2000
| term_end2           = 20 August 2004
| predecessor2        = [[Rinchinnyamyn Amarjargal]]
| successor2          = [[Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj]]
| office3             = [[Chairman of the State Great Khural]]
| term_start3         = August 2004
| term_end3           = June 2005
| predecessor3        = [[Sanjbegz Tömör-Ochir]]
| successor3          = [[Tsendiin Nyamdorj]]
| birth_date          = {{Birth date and age|1958|06|01|df=y}}
| birth_place         = [[Ulaanbaatar]], Mongolia
| spouse              = Onongiin Tsolmon
| children            = 4, including [[Batshugar Enkhbayar]]
| party               = [[Mongolian People's Party]] (1992–2010), (2021–present)
| otherparty          = [[Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (2010)|Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party]] (2010–2021)
| alma_mater          = [[Maxim Gorky Literature Institute]]
}}
[[File:Nambaryn Enkhbayar 2004 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Nambaryn Enkhbayar in 2004]]
[[File:Bush Enkhbayar MCA.jpg|thumb|right|Nambaryn Enkhbayar and U.S. President [[George W. Bush]] signing the [[Millennium Challenge Corporation|MCC Agreement]] in October 2007]]
'''Nambaryn Enkhbayar''' ({{langx|mn|Намбарын Энхбаяр}}; born 1 June 1958) is a [[Mongolia]]n politician. He served as the 22nd [[Prime Minister of Mongolia]] from 2000 to 2004, as [[Chairman of the State Great Khural]] from 2004 to 2005, and as the 3rd [[President of Mongolia]] from 2005 to 2009. He is the first person to have held all of the top three positions in the Mongolian government. He was the chairman of the [[Mongolian People's Party|Mongolian People’s Party]] from 1997 to 2005 and head of [[Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (2010)|Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party]] from 2010 to 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/711253/Nambaryn-Enkhbayar|title=Nambaryn Enkhbayar|publisher=britannica.com|access-date=30 June 2013}}</ref> His eldest son, [[Batshugar Enkhbayar]] is a member of the [[State Great Khural]] from [[Mongolian People's Party]]. Due to his corruption scandal he is regarded as the [[Godparent|godfather]] of corruption in Mongolian politics by the public media.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Edwards |first1=Terrence |title="Авлигын загалмайлсан эцэг" Монголын улс төрд эргэн ирэх гэж байна |url=https://www.assa.mn/a/20002 |website=assa.mn |publisher=Business New Europe |access-date=13 January 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Ганц Н.Энхбаяр авлигын загалмайлсан эцэг биш! |url=https://news.mn/r/2240485/ |website=news.mn |date=21 December 2019 |publisher=Г. Хорол |access-date=21 December 2019}}</ref>

==Early life and education==
Nambaryn Enkhbayar was born on 1 June 1958 in [[Ulaanbaatar]], Mongolia. He finished a secondary school in 1975, and earned an undergraduate degree majoring in literature and language studies from [[Maxim Gorky Literature Institute]] in [[Moscow]], [[Russia]] in 1980. He studied at an English language and literature course<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mongol.undesten.mn/wiki/show/name/%D0%AD%D0%BD%D1%85%D0%B1%D0%B0%D1%8F%D1%80+%D0%9D%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%B1%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%8B%D0%BD|title=Enkhbayar, Nambaryn|publisher=Undestnii tsahim ov akademi(National Digital Heritage Academy) (in Mongolian)|access-date=30 June 2013|archive-date=6 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160706211938/http://mongol.undesten.mn/wiki/show/name/%D0%AD%D0%BD%D1%85%D0%B1%D0%B0%D1%8F%D1%80+%D0%9D%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%B1%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%8B%D0%BD|url-status=dead}}</ref> at [[University of Leeds|Leeds University]] in the [[United Kingdom]] in 1985–1986.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldleaders.columbia.edu/participants/nambaryn-enkhbayar|title=Nambaryn Enkhbayar, President of Mongolia|publisher=[[Columbia University]] World Leaders Forum|date=24 October 2007|access-date=22 August 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121221164624/http://www.worldleaders.columbia.edu/participants/nambaryn-enkhbayar|archive-date=21 December 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> As a young man, he translated the works of Mongolian poet [[Mend-Ooyo Gombojav]] into English.<ref>Morrow, Peter.  ''My Mongolia'', p. 299</ref> Enkhbayar became the chairman of the Association of Mongolian Writers in 1990. He is married to Onongiin Tsolmon since 1987 and they have four children.<ref name="Notable">{{cite web |title=Nambaryn Enkhbayar |url=http://www.notablebiographies.com/newsmakers2/2007-Co-Lh/Enkhbayar-Nambaryn.html |access-date=30 June 2013 |publisher=notablebiographies.com}}</ref>

==Legislative career==
In 1992, as a member of the [[Mongolian People's Party|Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party]] (MPRP) Enkhbayar was elected to the [[State Great Khural]] (Mongolian Parliament). Mongolia voted to retain former communist MPRP during its first venture into democratic elections, and Enkhbayar was appointed to serve as the country's Minister of Culture. He held that post until 1996, when the [[Democratic Party (Mongolia)|Democratic Party]] ousted the MPRP in the parliamentary elections that year. In 1996 Enkhbayar became the secretary general of the MPRP and led the opposition MPRP group in the Parliament. In 1997 he was elected as the chairman of the MPRP.<ref name="lenta">{{cite web|url=http://lenta.ru/lib/14189978/|title=Nambaryn Enkhbayar, former President of Mongolia|publisher=lenta.ru (in Russian)|access-date=30 June 2013}}</ref>

==Prime minister==
In 1999, the country was hit by one of its infamous [[zud]] spells, when summer drought and cold weather blizzards resulted in severe food shortages and loss of thousands of livestock. The government responded poorly to the disaster and the MPRP received an unexpected boost from the public response to the climatological disaster.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fex.ennonline.net/20/famine.aspx|last=Siurua and Swift|first=H. and J.|title=Famine Avoided Despite Drought and 'Zud' in Mongolia|publisher=ENN|year=2002|access-date=30 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202223917/http://fex.ennonline.net/20/famine.aspx|archive-date=2 December 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2000, the MPRP won 72 out of 76 seats in parliamentary elections.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2219_00.htm|title=Parliamentary Chamber: Ulsyn Ikh Khural. Elections held in 2000|publisher=ipu.org|access-date=30 June 2013}}</ref> With the MPRP controlling the parliament, Enkhbayar became the country's prime minister. He initiated an ambitious Millennium Road project to connect Mongolian territory from east to west.<ref name="Notable"/> During Enkhbayar's time as prime minister, he successfully eliminated Mongolia's debt to the former Soviet Union; this was the first time since the 1920s that Mongolia did not owe debt to its northern neighbor.<ref>{{cite book|title=Mongolia: A Guide to Economic and Political Developments|last=Jeffries|first=Ian|pages=66|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fcgQ9nX0H3gC&q=debt+forgiveness+mongolia+russia&pg=PA66|publisher=Routledge|year=2007|access-date=30 June 2013|isbn=9780203962039}}</ref> The debt was controversial due to Mongolia being a raw material supplier to the Soviet Union<ref>{{cite book|title=Mongolia in the Twentieth Century: Landlocked Cosmopolitan|last=Kotkin and Elleman|first=Stephen and Bruce A.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tPMUm0idWw8C&q=mongolia+raw+material+supply+to+soviet+union&pg=PA282|publisher=M.E.Sharpe Inc.|year=1999|page=282|access-date=30 June 2013|isbn=9780765605351}}</ref> pricing the materials almost free for former USSR. International exposure of Mongolia's vast mineral resources led to the economy experiencing 10% real [[GDP]] growth in 2004.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mongolia Country Report|url=http://www.gfmag.com/gdp-data-country-reports/218-mongolia-gdp-country-report.html#axzz1tFHOdQQ4|publisher=Global Finance|access-date=30 June 2013|archive-date=27 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130327084036/http://www.gfmag.com/gdp-data-country-reports/218-mongolia-gdp-country-report.html#axzz1tFHOdQQ4|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Speaker of Parliament==
In 2004, MPRP lost to [[Motherland Democratic Coalition]]-a coalition of [[Democratic Party (Mongolia)|Democratic Party]] and Motherland Party. Due to election result where none of the coalition and the MPRP became the enough majority to hold the government, grand coalition government was formed and Enkhbayar became the speaker of the Parliament and served on this post in 2004–2005.<ref name="Notable" />

==President==
He won the [[2005 Mongolian presidential election|2005 presidential election]] and became the Mongolian president. He welcomed U.S. President [[George W. Bush]] who paid an official visit to Mongolia. It was the first visit of a U.S president to the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200511/21/eng20051121_222937.html|title=US President Bush visits Mongolia|publisher=Xinhua News Agency|date=21 November 2005|access-date=30 June 2013}}</ref> Mongolia received US$285 million aid from the United States' Millennium Challenge Compact (MCC) which United States President George W. Bush signed with Enkhbayar in 2007.<ref>{{cite web|title=President Bush and President Enkhbayar of Mongolia Sign the Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact |url=https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2007/10/20071022-3.html|publisher=whitehouse.gov|date=22 October 2007|access-date=30 June 2013}}</ref>

In the [[2009 Mongolian presidential election]], incumbent president Enkhbayar was defeated by [[Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj]] of [[Democratic Party (Mongolia)|Democratic Party]]. Elbegdorj won 51.21% of total votes while Enkhbayar got 47.41%.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mongolia Profile|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-15460528|publisher=BBC|access-date=30 June 2013|date=5 December 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Enkhbayar, Roland-Holst, Sugiyarto |first=Shagdar, David and Guntur|url=http://are.berkeley.edu/~dwrh/Docs/WP_Mongolia_Resources100920.pdf|title=Mongolia's investment priorities from a national development perspective|publisher=berkeley.edu|date=September 2010|pages=9|access-date=25 June 2013}}</ref> Thus Enkhbayar became the first Mongolian president to lose re-election.<ref>{{cite web|title=Enkhbayar, Nambaryn|url=https://pronounce.voanews.com/modal.phrasedetail.php?id=2696|publisher=Voice of America|access-date=30 June 2013}}</ref>

==New political party establishment==
In 2010, Enkhbayar established a political party and named it [[Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (2010-)|Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party]]. The party received approval to use the previous name of the [[Mongolian People's Party]] from the Supreme Court of Mongolia on 26 June 2011.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.supremecourt.mn/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=825:2011-10-19-04-03-19&catid=36:2010-11-17-01-56-38&Itemid=64 |title=Supreme Court of Mongolia |access-date=27 November 2013 |archive-date=28 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211128124735/http://www.supremecourt.mn/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=825:2011-10-19-04-03-19&catid=36:2010-11-17-01-56-38&Itemid=64 |url-status=dead }}</ref>  Enkhbayar became the chairman of his established party.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.business-mongolia.com/mongolia/tag/n-enkhbayar-chairman-of-new-mprp/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004212659/http://www.business-mongolia.com/mongolia/tag/n-enkhbayar-chairman-of-new-mprp/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=4 October 2013|publisher=Business-Mongolia.com|access-date=30 June 2013|title=Former MPRP is reborn and former President named chairman|date=2 February 2011}}</ref>

==Convicted of corruption==
The Independent Authority Against Corruption (IAAC) arrested Enkhbayar at the dawn of 13 April 2012. The IAAC stated that it arrested Enkhbayar for questioning in a graft case involving the illegal privatization of a government-owned hotel because he never showed up for questioning.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/mongolian-ex-president-seized-over-corruption/#ixzz2XfaafeG6 |publisher=Foxnews.com|access-date=30 June 2013|title=Mongolian ex-president seized over corruption|date=13 April 2012}}</ref>

Over 1000 members of [[Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (2010-)|Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party]] and Enkhbayar's supporters participated in [[Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (2010-)|Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party]]'s organized demonstration demanding Enkhbayar's release on the same day of his arrest.<ref>{{cite web|last=Tang|first=Danlu|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-04/13/c_131525633.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131208195910/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-04/13/c_131525633.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 December 2013|publisher=Xinhua News Agency|access-date=30 June 2013|title=Mongolian party stages protest against former president's arrest|date=13 April 2012}}</ref> On 4 May 2012, Enkhbayar announced a dry hunger strike demanding his release.<ref name="infomongolia"/> He lost around 12 kilograms in 16 days.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.24tsag.mn/content/11703.shtml|publisher=24tsag.mn (in Mongolian)|access-date=30 June 2013|title=N.Enkhbayar lost 16 kg in 12 days|date=15 May 2012}}</ref> [[Amnesty International]] issued a statement demanding the Mongolian authority to respect human rights of Enkhbayar compatible to international standards.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amnesty.mn/en/aim-news/amnesty-international-public-statement|publisher=Amnesty International Mongolia|access-date=30 June 2013|title=Mongolian authorities must respect the human rights of former Mongolian president following his arrest|archive-date=12 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130612202744/http://www.amnesty.mn/en/aim-news/amnesty-international-public-statement|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[United Nations Secretary-General]] [[Ban Ki-moon]] made a phone call to President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj expressing concern over Enkhbayar's health.<ref name="infomongolia">{{cite web|last=B.|first=Chimeg|url=http://www.infomongolia.com/ct/ci/4043|publisher=infomongolia.com|access-date=30 June 2013|title=N.Enkhbayar is released on bail|date=15 May 2012}}</ref> Enkhbayar was released on bail on 14 May 2012. [[United States]] Senator [[Dianne Feinstein]] expressed to the U.S.Senate her pleasure for Enkhbayar's release on bail and said "For any democracy, due process and the rule of law are essential."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=c5da8450-7c23-4002-844f-03e7dae8146c|publisher=feinstein.senate.gov|access-date=30 June 2013|date=14 May 2012|last=Feinstein|first=Dianne|title=Feinstein Statement on Former Mongolian President Enkhbayar}}</ref>

On 8 June 2012, the General Elections Committee (GEC) refused to register Enkhbayar as a candidate for the 2012 parliamentary elections in the MPRP party list listed as number one. It stated that the official documents sent from the Prosecutor's Office and Sukhbaatar District Court of Ulaanbaatar required the rejection of Enkhbayar's application pending the case.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/mongolia-ex-president-nixed-from-upcoming-election/|publisher=[[Fox News]]|access-date=30 June 2013|date=8 June 2012|title=Mongolia ex-president nixed from upcoming election}}</ref> However, Enkhbayar and his lawyers argue that the incumbent president, Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, who took office in 2009, engineered the corruption case to keep him from running in the coming elections. They claim that the court gave them insufficient time to review the prosecutors' evidence and witness statements. The election authorities' denial of Enkhbayar's candidacy on 6 June, they say, violates his constitutional right to be considered innocent until proven guilty. According to a US-based independent trial observer, the five charges leveled against Enkhbayar seem overblown and unsubstantiated. One accuses him of misappropriating TV equipment that was intended for a Buddhist monastery. Another alleges that he illegally shipped eight copies of his autobiography to South Korea on a government plane.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jun/27/mongolia-new-wealth-rising-corruption|access-date=22 November 2015|date=27 June 2012|title=Mongolia's new wealth and rising corruption is tearing the nation apart|website=[[TheGuardian.com]] }}</ref>

On 2 August 2012, after a three-day trial Sukhbaatar District Court convicted Enkhbayar of corruption and sentenced to seven years of imprisonment, three of which was pardoned and then gave four years prison term and fined with over MNT 1.7 billion for misusing state properties and government power.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19107293|publisher=BBC|access-date=30 June 2013|date=3 August 2012|title=Mongolia ex-leader Nambar Enkhbayar jailed}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.infomongolia.com/ct/ci/4674|publisher=infomongolia.com|access-date=30 June 2013|date=3 August 2012|title=Former President of Mongolia N.Enkhbayar is sentenced to 4 years of imprisonment
}}</ref> Enkhbayar's sentence was reduced to two and a half year prison term without the fine by the [[Supreme Court of Mongolia]]-the highest court in Mongolia.<ref name="news.mn">{{cite web|url=http://www.news.mn/content/143291.shtml|title=Enkhbayar's request to be freed from conviction returned|publisher=news.mn (in Mongolian)|access-date=30 June 2013|date=7 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515200614/http://www.news.mn/content/143291.shtml|archive-date=15 May 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On 1 August 2013, President of Mongolia Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj issued a decree to pardon Enkhbayar thus releasing him from the rest of his jail term effective on the decree date.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.president.mn/mongolian/node/3487|publisher=Office of the President of Mongolia|access-date=1 August 2013|title=N.Enkhbayar pardoned (in Mongolian)}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=J.|first=Erkhes|url=http://www.news.mn/content/152555.shtml|publisher=news.mn|access-date=1 August 2013|title=N.Enkhbayar released from rest of his jail term(in Mongolian)|archive-date=4 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130804090029/http://www.news.mn/content/152555.shtml|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Sports==
Enkhbayar climbed the highest peak in Mongolia, [[Khüiten Peak]], with mountaineers of the Mongolian Mountaineering Federation and the Nepal Mountaineering Association on 23 June 2011.<ref>{{cite web|last=Karki|first=Niraj|url=http://ecs.com.np/feature_detail.php?f_id=500|publisher=ECS Nepal|date=October 2011|access-date=30 June 2013|title=From Mt. Everest to Mt. Khuiten|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306165548/http://www.ecs.com.np/feature_detail.php?f_id=500|archive-date=6 March 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Religion==
Enkhbayar is a follower of [[Tibetan Buddhism]]. He translated several Buddhist texts into Mongolian.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=9,6649,0,0,1,0|publisher=buddhistchannel.tv|date=17 June 2008|access-date=30 June 2013|title=Mongolian President Enkhbayar's Spiritual Outlook}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{Reflist|2}}

{{commons category}}
{{S-start}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Büdragchaagiin Dash-Yondon]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Mongolian People's Party]]|years=1996–1997}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Natsagiin Bagabandi]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Natsagiin Bagabandi]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Mongolian People's Party]]|years=1997–2005}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Miyeegombyn Enkhbold]]}}
|-
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Rinchinnyamyn Amarjargal]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Prime Minister of Mongolia]]|years=2000–2004}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Natsagiin Bagabandi]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[President of Mongolia]]|years=2005–2009}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Leaders of CPM}}
{{Prime Ministers of Mongolia}}
{{Heads of state of Mongolia}}
{{Chairmen of the State Great Khural}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Enkhbayar, Nambaryn}}
[[Category:1958 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Leeds]]
[[Category:Mongolian Buddhists]]
[[Category:Mongolian expatriates in the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Mongolian expatriates in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Mongolian People's Party politicians]]
[[Category:Politicians from Ulaanbaatar]]
[[Category:Presidents of Mongolia]]
[[Category:Prime ministers of Mongolia]]
[[Category:Chairmen of the State Great Khural]]
[[Category:Mongolian politicians convicted of crimes]]
[[Category:Maxim Gorky Literature Institute alumni]]
[[Category:Heads of state and government who were later imprisoned]]
[[Category:21st-century Mongolian politicians]]