State of emergency declared in Mongolia

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Source: CCTV.com | 07-03-2008 08:15

Mongolia's president has declared a four-day state of emergency in the capital, Ulan Bator.

A soldier stands guard outside the Mongolian People's  Revolutionary Party headquarters in Ulan Bator. Armed  soldiers patrolled the tense streets of Mongolia's  capital Wednesday amid a state of emergency that was  imposed after protests over alleged vote-rigging left  five people dead.(AFP/Michael Kohn)

The decree, issued late Tuesday, came amid violent protests over alleged fraud in the weekend's parliamentary elections. Police cordoned off the capital's downtown area on Wednesday.

The presidential decree allows police to use force against protesters, who stormed the headquarters of the ruling Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party and set it on fire. Four people have been killed in the clashes and about 100 injured.

Electoral authorities are yet to release the final results of the vote, but local media reported the MPRP won more than half the seats in the 76-seat parliament.