Dinner with the candidates

Last night we had dinner at a new Korean restaurant here in UB with Luya, Dolgun and Bat-Erdene. Our cicerone Bat Erdene guaranteed it would be a good restaurant.

- It's new so it's good.

Obviously he was right. We were served raw meat and vegetables that we were supposed to cook in a bowl of soup with fire underneath the bowl. I have to admit it took a while before I understood that the meat was supposed to cook for quite long (getting quite rubbery). I just wanted to dip it in the warm soup to get it real succulent. Hubby, of course, tried to burn the restaurant down with flames reaching the roof from his heater... It was, however, delicious, when I got the cooking going...

On telly there was a debate between the two candidates in the presidential election on Sunday. The man from the National Democratic Party, Elbegdorj (left) is trying to take over from MPRP (the socialists), the president now in office, Enkbayar (right). The latter looked very statesmanlike and seemed to have clever spin doctors telling him what to say and what not to say.

The viewers had sent in questions that were drawn for the candidates to answer. Of course there was a question about July 1 last year when Elbegdorj, as the party leader of the Democratic Party, after loosing the parliament election, held a speech about election fraud puttin fire under the heated feelings. This lead to riots and hooligans burning down the MPRP building at Peace (!) Avenue. Elbegdorj yesterday said that he couldn't have known that this would happen when he held his quite agitated speech. I think that is quite representative to someone not aware of the impact his harsh words could have (and, obviously had).

Enkbayar on the other hand refrained from putting the blame on Elbegdorj. He said that this was a horrid time and the night of the riots they sat down and discussed what to do. But what could they do except from imprisoning those setting the MPRP building on fire and other rioters. (Later letting women and children go.) And to proclaim a national emergency. This is of course the right thing for him to say. He, as the president, got hold of the situation and made the best out of it. (Although there are people claiming the opposite.)

Below you can see a big poster with Enkbayar, the man of the people. Only that some of the people seem to have been photoshopped into the picture. Interesting that it seems to be people who are more prone to vote for the National Democratic Party (young urban men)...

Read also about the debate here.