Mongolia to hold first presidential runoff

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Mongolia will have its first ever presidential runoff vote on July 9 after none of the three candidates won an absolute majority, election officials said on Tuesday.

Based on the results, all of the three candidates failed to secure enough votes to win the presidency outright, General Election Commission Chairman Choizon Sodnomtseren said at a press conference after the poll closed.

Election officials count votes in the presidential election in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, June 26, 2017. /Reuters Photo

The result of Monday's vote was put off by several hours, angering supporters of the losing candidate who protested the delay as suspicious.

The General Election Committee said the front-runner, Battulga Khaltmaa from the opposition Democratic Party led the vote with 38 percent and will face off against Miyegombyn Enkhbold from the ruling Mongolian People's Party, who finished second with just over 30 percent.

Presidential candidate Khaltmaa Battulga holds his ballot paper in a polling station in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, June 26, 2017. /Reuters Photo

A total of 1,318,511 Mongolians cast their votes on Monday in the 7th presidential election. The turnout was 66.54 percent.

(With inputs from Xinhua, AFP)