Calm in Mongolia as emergency rule nears end

There was no sign of the tension that gripped the capital,Ulan Bator, just a few days ago, when stone-throwing mobs setthe ruling party's headquarters on fire in a night of violencethat killed five people and prompted the president to declareemergency rule for the first time in Mongolia's history.

A trickle of foreign tourists returned on Saturday, withtwo tour buses stopping in the city's central square to snapphotos. Soldiers patrolling the streets walked about casually,smoking cigarettes and chatting with each other.

But behind closed doors, the opposition Democratic Partywas still pressing for a re-run of last Sunday's election insome areas. Their demands could spell more instability in thewindswept Central Asian nation after four years of fractiouscoalition rule that has undermined economic growth and held upmining deals seen as key to lifting the country out of poverty.

The relaxed atmosphere in Ulan Bator caused some confusionabout whether the state of emergency was still in effect, butthe government said that it would be enforced until lateSaturday night (1530 GMT), exactly four days after it wasdeclared.

"The state of emergency will be lifted tonight," ForeignMinister Sanjaasuren Oyun told Reuters. "Any otherinterpretation is a miscalculation."

Mongolian officials earlier told Reuters that the emergencyrule would not be extended any further.

The General Election Committee said an official vote resultwould not come until Monday at the earliest. An initial countshowed the ruling Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party taking47 seats out of 76 in the Great Hural, or parliament, with 26seats for the Democratic Party and the remainder dividedbetween smaller parties.

The Democratic Party levelled accusations of cheating andhas demanded a re-vote in some constituencies. Its leaders areexpected to formally state their demands on Tuesday.

International observers say the election, in a country thatis seen as a rare example of democracy in Central Asia, waslargely free and fair, even though there was some confusionover a new system of multi-member constituencies.

The last election in 2004 resulted in a hung parliament andtroubled coalition rule. Further political uncertainty couldhold up major mining deals that could unlock the vast reservesof copper, coal, uranium and other resources beneath thecountry's vast steppes and deserts.

The biggest project at stake is at Oyu Tolgoi, also knownas Turquoise Hill, backed by Ivanhoe Mines of Canada and RioTinto.

(Reporting by Irja Halasz; Additional reporting by RoystonChan; Writing by Simon Rabinovitch; Editing by Alex Richardson)