Emergency rule declared in Mongolia

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The chaos threatens to further delay deals that could unlock vast reserves of coal, uranium and other resources beneath the country's vast steppes and deserts, and are seen as key to lifting the isolated Central Asian state out of poverty.

"The president has declared a state of emergency according to the constitution ... from 11:30 p.m. on July 1 for a period of four days," television said.

The state of emergency means protests are banned and authorises security forces to break up protests using force. Central areas have been put under curfew from 10 p.m. to 8 p.m. and alcohol sales are banned over the period.

Riot police fired tear gas and rubber bullets against protesters on Tuesday night, but struggled to bring under control crowds, who threw stones, burned cars and gathered in their thousands in the main square of the capital Ulan Bator to protest against alleged election fraud.

Rioting continued into early Wednesday morning. Witnesses reported hearing gunfire. Conditions calmed at around 3 a.m. after convoys of police and armoured vehicles arrived to disperse rioters, witnesses said.

The blaze at the party headquarters had been extinguished, and state television showed MPRP Prime Minister Sanjaagiin Bayar touring the charred building and folding his hands in prayer.

An uneasy calm enveloped the city on Wednesday morning with a heavy police presence guarding government buildings.

Mongolia's election committee has yet to give the final result of Sunday's vote, but preliminary results give the ruling Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) a clear majority in the 76-seat parliament.

The General Election Committee of Mongolia vowed to press on with vote-counting.

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