Khaltmaagiin Battulga

Khaltmaagiin Battulga (Халтмаагийн Баттулга,, also referred to as Battulga Khaltmaa; born 3 March 1963) is a Mongolian politician and sambo wrestler who served as the 5th President of Mongolia from 2017 to 2021.

Battulga was born on March 3, 1963, in Ulaanbaatar.

Battulga is a second child of three children.

His father and mother are both from Bayankhongor Province.

The family was allocated a traditional ger in the Yarmag district in Ulaanbaatar after they lost everything in the flood of Tuul River in 1966.

In 1978, he graduated from the 10-year 34th secondary school in Ulaanbaatar.

In 1982 he graduated from the School of Fine Arts of Mongolia with a degree in painting.

While studying at the arts school, Battulga sold his paintings to tourists around the Bayangol Hotel area.

He later transitioned to sambo wrestling and represented the Mongolian People's Republic in international competition from 1983 to 1990.

He won gold at the 1983 World Championships and 1989 World Cup, along with several other medals at the World Championships, World Cup, and Friendship Games.

In 1990, Battulga started sewing and selling jeans locally and in Hungary.

He saved $600 to buy a video camera and start an export-import business trading electronics from Singapore to Mongolia, Russia, and Eastern Europe.

Battulga was fascinated with The Godfather and named his first company Genco, the name of the olive oil importing company in the film.

Battulga was awarded a Merited Sportsmen of Mongolia in 1995, and became Chairman of the Mongolian Judo Federation in 2006.

Under Battulga's leadership at the Judo Federation, Mongolian judokas became Olympic champions for the first time in history.

Genco acquired controlling interests during the privatization of state-owned assets such as Bayangol Hotel and meat-processing factory Makh-Impex in 1997 and 1999 respectively.

Battulga grew up practicing Mongolian traditional wrestling, as his father Khaltmaa was a coach.

He served as Member of the State Great Khural from 2004 to 2016 and Minister of Roads, Transportation, Construction and Urban Development from 2008 to 2012.

Before his career in politics, Battulga was a sambo wrestling champion.

In 2004, Battulga became a Member of Parliament for Bayankhongor province for the first time.

He was re-elected to parliament in 2008 and 2012.

From 2008 to 2012, he was Minister of Roads and Transport of Mongolia.

In 2012, he was appointed to the post of Minister of Industry and Agriculture of Mongolia.

He was the Democratic Party's candidate in the 2017 presidential election and was elected President with 50.6% in the run-off, the first-ever run-off election in modern Mongolian history.

Presidential elections were held on 26 June 2017.

Incumbent President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj was constitutionally barred from running for a third term.

Battulga ran in the election representing the Democratic Party.

He ran against former Prime Minister Miyeegombyn Enkhbold of the Mongolian People's Party.

For the first time, no candidate received a majority of the vote in the first round, forcing a run-off between Battulga and Enkhbold on 7 July, brought forward from 9 July.

In the second round, Battulga was narrowly elected with 50.61% of the popular vote.

Battulga's inauguration took place at the State Palace on 10 July 2017 in the presence of Prime Minister Jargaltulgyn Erdenebat and former president Elbegdorj.

In his presidential address, he laid out the principles for his term, including one for the industrialization of the country.

He also said that he would work to maintain and expand the good-neighbor relations with Russia and China and will "pay utmost attention" to the third neighbor policy, referring to the United States.

After the ceremony, he went outside to lay wreaths at the monuments to Damdin Sükhbaatar and Chinggis Khaan.

He also received state heraldry, including the state stamp and the presidential certificate.

Since he became president, Battulga has made it standard practice for people to put their hand on their heart during the performance of the national anthem of Mongolia by a concert or military band, as well as a vocal performance.

Within days of his inauguration, he took measures to reinstate the death penalty for sexual offenders, which came days after the death penalty was completely abolished in the country.

On 16 October, Battulga announced the formation of an expert group to look into the reinstatement of the death penalty for premeditated murder and rape.

The following month, he submitted his proposal to the justice and interior ministry.

Mongolians are divided about his role in the 2019 Mongolian constitutional crisis.