Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj
Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj (Mongolian: Цахиагийн Элбэгдорж, also referred to as Elbegdorj Tsakhia; born 30 March 1963) is a Mongolian politician who has been President of Mongolia since 2009. He previously served as Prime Minister in 1998 and again from 2004 to 2006. Elbegdorj is considered one of the principal champions in emerging markets and was one of the architects of democracy in Mongolia. Elbegdorj was one of the key leaders of the 1990 Mongolian democratic revolution that ended 70 years of communist rule in Mongolia, and co-drafted the country's 1992 constitution that guaranteed democracy and a free market economy. Elbegdorj has been labeled by his supporters as a "freedom fighter" and the "Golden Sparrow of Democracy," alluding to a bird that comes with spring sunshine after a long, harsh winter. Elbegdorj is the founder of the Ardchilal (English: Democracy) newspaper - the country's first independent newspaper - and helped to establish the first independent television station in Mongolia. His tenure has focused on fighting corruption, environmental protection, women's rights, judicial reform, civic engagement, economic liberalization and privatization, property rights, and the abolition of the death penalty.