Presidential elections begin in Mongolia

ULAN BATOR - Mongolians went to the polls Monday to elect a new president for the landlocked country with a population of 3 million.

There are 1.978.298 eligible voters who will cast their votes in the presidential elections, which mainly involve candidates from three leading parties.

Voting began at 7:00 am local time (2300 GMT, June 25) nationwide and will end at 10:00 pm (1400 GMT).

Candidates vying for the top post have offered different measures to ease the government's mounting debt pressure during the presidential campaigns.

Miyegombyn Enkhbold of the ruling Mongolian People's Party and Battulga Khaltmaa of the opposition Democratic Party are considered the main contenders.

The new president will inherit a 5.5 billion US dollar International Monetary Fund-led bailout aimed to stabilize the country's economy.