Mongolia's electoral commission on Friday confirmed the ruling Mongolian People's Party won a landslide victory after voters braved the coronavirus pandemic and flocked to polling stations this week.

The Mongolian People's Party took 62 out of 76 parliamentary seats in its first consecutive victory, the General Election Committee announced.

The incumbent party won just under half of the numerical votes but retained nearly all of its seats thanks to Mongolia's block voting system and a heavy campaign push in rural areas.

Nearly three quarters of Mongolia's 2 million eligible voters voted on Wednesday, the Election Committee said -- a modest rise in turnout despite fears over the global coronavirus outbreak.

"Mongolia set an example: free elections can be held even in the time of a pandemic," said Niels Hegewisch, the Mongolia country director for the Friedrich-Ebert Foundation non-profit group.

Thanks to border closures in January, soon after the virus was detected in neighbouring China, the sparsely populated Asian nation has only reported 219 coronavirus cases so far -- all imported from overseas.

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Mongolia's ruling party wins parliamentary election in landslide
Ulaanbaatar (AFP) June 24, 2020
Mongolia's ruling party won a landslide election victory to retain an overwhelming majority in parliament - a reward from voters who approved of its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, according to near-complete results on Thursday. The Mongolian People's Party of Prime Minister Khurelsukh Ukhnaa now faces the task of keeping the economy afloat as businesses struggle under virus containment measures and closed borders. The MPP will have 63 of 76 seats in the legislature, two fewer than before ... read more