**Mongolian Prime Minister Resigns Amid Social Media Scandal and Corruption Allegations**

Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene has resigned after photos posted on social media triggered an anti-corruption investigation and ignited weeks of protests. The images, featuring his son and his son’s girlfriend exhibiting a life of luxury, led to questions about the Oyun-Erdene family's finances and ultimately a loss of confidence in parliament.

The controversy began with photographs that allegedly showed Oyun-Erdene’s son and the girlfriend with luxury items, including a black Dior shoulder bag and multiple shopping bags, taken during their engagement holiday. One of the photos, reportedly posted by the girlfriend, was captioned "Happy birthday to me," while another image showed the couple kissing in a swimming pool.

Mass protests ensued, with hundreds of mostly young people demanding the resignation of Oyun-Erdene over accusations of corruption and misuse of public funds. The discontent was palpable, as protesters took to the streets for two weeks leading up to the parliamentary vote.

During the parliamentary confidence vote, Oyun-Erdene received support from only 44 of the 88 participating lawmakers. He required the backing of at least 64 of the 126 members in Mongolia's parliament to stay in power. This political turmoil underscores the ongoing issues with corruption in Mongolia, which Transparency International ranks poorly for government transparency, placing it 114th out of 180 countries last year.

Oyun-Erdene has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and has labeled the accusations against him as part of a smear campaign. However, the nation's anti-corruption body has reportedly been scrutinizing the financial dealings of the Oyun-Erdene family.

Mongolia, a former communist state situated between Russia and China, has been dealing with persistent corruption issues since its transition to democracy in the early 1990s. Last year, US prosecutors sought to seize former Mongolian Prime Minister Sukhbaatar Batbold's assets in New York, which he allegedly acquired using embezzled mining funds. Batbold, who served from 2012 to 2015, has also denied any misconduct.

In recent years, Mongolia has aimed to strengthen its ties with Western countries, notably the United States and European nations, as part of its "third neighbour" foreign policy. However, the country's ongoing struggle with corruption continues to pose significant challenges to its governance and international reputation.