ULAN BATOR, Mongolia -- Mongolia's prime minister was appointed chief of the country's ruling party Thursday in a move to consolidate his power at a time when the country's capital has been rocked by protests.

Prime Minister Batbold Sukhbaatar replaced Bayar Sanjaa as head of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party after the former prime minister resigned, citing health reasons, during a meeting of the ruling council, the party's press service said. Bayar Sanjaa nominated Batbold Sukhbaatar to replace him as the party chairman.

The move comes as the government faces growing public pressure over the unequal distribution of the country's mining wealth. Ulan Bator has been embroiled in protests that began on Monday with more than 5,000 demonstrators, many from rural areas and the slums of Ulan Bator, demanding that parliament be dissolved and promised aid be handed out.