By Lindsay Beck
ULAN BATOR (Reuters) - Troops began pulling back from thestreets of the Mongolian capital on Saturday and politicalleaders called for calm ahead of the lifting of emergency rulethat was declared after rioting over alleged election fraud.
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.
"The political parties do not want renewed violence," saidY. Otgonbayar, chairman of the ruling Mongolian People'sRevolutionary Party (MPRP).
"The primary task at this moment is to keep people quietand bring back normalcy."
Workers were shovelling charcoal debris out of the MPRP'sheadquarters and authorities had erected a fence around thesoot-covered building that stands as a reminder of the riot onTuesday that was a rare outpouring of political violence.
But the security presence was light in Ulan Bator, withfamilies enjoying the sunshine and tourists snappingphotographs in the city's main square.
All parties were to hold more talks later on Saturday todiscuss the impasse over last week's election, which hasdelayed the formation of a government and dampened hopes foraction to tackle double-digit inflation and pass miningagreements.
The opposition Democratic Party was alleging fraud andpressing for re-counting and a possible re-vote in someconstituencies, after preliminary results showed the MPRP won aclear majority in the 76-seat parliament, or Great Hural.
The election commission said final results would likely notcome until Monday at the earliest.
International observers say the vote in the country thatshook off decades of Soviet influence and staged its firstdemocratic elections in 1990 was largely free and fair.
"If irregularities were undertaken or breaches of the lawconfirmed, there should be recounting first, and then if thereis unfairness, a re-vote," said Otgonbayar.
"We were fair in these elections. We are not afraid ofre-voting or re-counting whatsoever."
The demand for a re-vote could spell more instability inthe windswept Central Asian nation after four years offractious coalition rule that has undermined economic growthand held up mining deals seen as key to lifting the country outof poverty.
Beneath the country's vast steppes and deserts lie hugereserves of copper, coal, uranium and other resources, butlarge-scale production has been held up by the lack of anagreement between the government and foreign investors.
One of the biggest projects at stake is Oyu Tolgoi, alsoknown as Turquoise Hill, a copper and gold mine backed byIvanhoe Mines of Canada and Rio Tinto.
But on Saturday, the key concern was maintaining orderbeyond the end of emergency rule, which is due to be lifted at1530 GMT, exactly four days after it was declared.
"I fear that after the state of emergency is lifted therecould be some rioting," said Burmaa, 19, a student.
But she added that the decree, which has meant statetelevision is the only local broadcaster on the airwaves,should be lifted.
"It's not right to have this emergency rule any longer."
(Editing by Jeremy Laurence)
