Legislative Power: State Great Hural

The Constitution provides that "the State Great Hural is the highest organ of State power and the supreme legislative power shall be vested only in the State Great Hural". The State Great Hural determines domestic and foreign policies of the country and has the full power to enact and make amendments to the Constitution and other laws. Consequently, the legislative power is now vested only in one organ.

As provided for in the Constitution and Law on the State Great Hural, the State Great Hural has the following functions:

It is a legislative organ.

The State Great Hural determines the organization and activities of the executive and judicial branches while it exercises its legislative power.

Its activities are governed by the rules of law and interests of the people.

The activity of the State Great Hural is based on the principle of protection of the independence and sovereignty of Mongolia , strengthening the legislative power, cherishing of human rights and freedom, justice and national unity, and confirmation of building a humane, civil and democratic society in the country.

The structure and activities of the State Great Hural are governed by such laws as the Law on the State Great Hural, Law on the Rules regarding sessions of State Great Hural and Law on Legal Status of a Member of the State Great Hural. The Law on the State Great Hural was first enacted in 1992 and amended several times. Then the new Law on the State Great Hural was enacted on the 6th February, 1996 and sessions of the Parliament and status of its members have been regulated by separate laws since that time. Thus, the State Great Hural is exercising its exclusive rights set forth in the Constitution of Mongolia and other rights determined by other laws. It considers and adopts any law drafts initiated by the President, member of the Parliament and the Government of Mongolia within their constitutional rights thereto and takes decisions on any issues of social, economic and state structure. The State Great Hural has the following full powers: (1) to enact and amend laws, (2) to pass a law recognizing the full powers of the President after his election; (3) to define the State’s financial, credit, tax and monetary policies; to lay down the guidelines for the country’s economic and social development; to approve the Government’s program of action, the State budget and the report on its execution; (4) to determine the structure, composition and powers of the National Security Council; (5) to determine the legal basis of the system, structure and activities of local self-governing and administrative bodies; (6) to institute titles, orders, medals and higher remarks, (6) to determine the table of ranks in some special fields of State service; and (7) to issue acts of amnesty. The definition of external and internal State policy is one of the State Great Hural’s exclusive rights. In this field it adopted many papers and guidelines on foreign policy such as the Concepts of National Security, Concept of Foreign Policy, Basic Concept of Defense and Policy Paper on Population. The State Great Hural has the following full power in the field of the State structure: (1) to set and announce the date of the election the President and the State Great Hural and its members; (2) to determine and change the structure and composition of the Standing Committees of the State Great Hural, the Government and other bodies; (3) to define the State borders; to approve and change the administrative and territorial division of the country at the suggestion of Government; (4) to ratify and denounce international agreements to which Mongolia is a Party; (5) to hold national referendums; (6) to declare a state of emergency or a state of war. The SGH exercises its powers through its sessions. The SGH has Standing Committees dealing with specific fields and also determines the competence, structure and procedures of those Committees. Nowadays, it has the following Standing Committees:

1. Standing Committee on Security and Foreign Policy,

2. Standing Committee on Nature, Environment, Food and Agriculture,

3. Standing Committee on Social Policy, Education, Culture and Science,

4. Standing Committee on State Structure,

5. Standing Committee on Budget,

6. Standing Committee on Legal Affairs,

7. Standing Committee on Economy

The State Great Hural consists of 76 members that are elected by citizens qualified to vote, on the basis of universal, free, direct suffrage by secret ballot. The State Great Hural now has one chamber and one vice-chamber. A member of the SGH is an envoy of the people and must represent and uphold the interests of all citizens and the State. Citizens of Mongolia who have reached the age of twenty five years are eligible for election as a member of the Parliament.

The Chairman of SGH:

Natsagiin BAGABANDI
/1992-1996/

Radnaasumbereliin GONCHIGDORJ
/1996-2000/

Lhamsurengiin ENEBISH
/2000-2001/

Mr. Sanjbegziin TUMUR-OCHIR
/2001-2004/

Nambaryn ENKHBAYAR
/2004-2005/

Tsendiin NYAMDORJ
/2005-2007/

Danzangiin LUNDEEJANTSAN
/2007-2008/

Damdingiin DEMBEREL
/2008-present/

Website: http://www.parl.gov.mn