[citation needed] In 1976, he became a deputy in the People's Great Khural, a member of the MPRP Central Committee, and was concurrently promoted to full Minister of Mining and Geology.

[citation needed] Ochirbat was named Chairman of the Presidium (titular head of state) of the People's Great Khural on 21 March 1990 following the resignation of Jambyn Batmönkh and other government leaders in the wake of the 1990 Democratic Revolution.

Although Ochirbat strongly advocated policies of rapid national revitalisation and economic reform to break the country from its socialist past and adopt capitalism by the year 2000, he had a reputation for flexibility and willingness to compromise and his persuasiveness helped diffuse confrontations and political crises in the lead up to the first free elections in June 1993.

Nevertheless, ideological splits within the MPRP lead the party leadership to reject Ochirbat as their presidential candidate and instead nominate hardliner Lodongiin Tüdev, editor in chief of the communist newspaper Ünen.

He was also critical of the Mongolian Intelligence services for failing to prevent the rise of transnational organised crime in Mongolia.

In 1994, Ochirbat undertook official visits to South and Southeast Asia, signed cooperation agreements with India and Laos, and obtained financial assistance from Thailand to address the food shortage crisis.

[1] Ochirbat again ran for president in the May 1997 election, but faced a Mongolian public unhappy with the economic dislocation caused by the fast pace of reforms.

The country was racked by high unemployment, 30 percent inflation, widespread shortages of foodstuffs and energy supplies and a falling GDP.

Winning only 29 percent of the vote, Ochirbat lost the election to the chairman of the MPRP Natsagiin Bagabandi who had pledged to try to slow down the Government's radical reforms.