Bus scandal highlights anger over corruption as Mongolia heads to polls
Dahan, Mongolia's third biggest city, has a new fleet of public buses. Touted by local officials as a solution to reduce congestion and pollution. Before taxis were our only option, it was expensive. The buses are a benefit for anyone who doesn't own a vehicle. I wrote one once and thought the buses are a good service for elderly people. Many are a scam. I'm truly disappointed and frustrated even now. If some are skeptical, it's because these vehicles are at the heart of a corruption scandal. Critics allege that these buses are substandard second hand models with just a fresh lick of paint. So are they worth €220,000 at peace? To determine this, a public inquiry into the procurement process is underway. Mongolia is no stranger to graft. Scandals, the biggest one in recent years, led to the 2022 protests. Citizens rallied in the capital to denounce corruption in the coal industry, pointing to billions of dollars of export revenue missing from public coffers. Since, the ruling party vowed more transparency and put wholesalers on the Stock Exchange. But frustration lingers, especially within civil society. Business and politics is all tangled up. Politicians make promises to corporations in exchange for their support. Clientelism is still very present. That is why the levels of corruption are so. The ruling party insists it is wedding out corruption, whilst opposition parties say too much of it is happening under the current government's. Mongolia's 2.2 million eligible voters are set to decide who to trust on Friday's parliamentary elections.