The amendment to article 36 (F and I) of the constitution has made the deck clear to activate the post of vice president that has remained defunct after Paramananda Jha refused to take fresh oath in Nepali as directed by the Supreme Court in August last, nullifying his earlier oath in Hindi.[break]
The amendment proposal presented for decision in the parliament by Speaker Subas Nembang was endorsed by a total 499 votes. In a division of votes made through voice voting, four lawmakers present in the meeting voted against the amendment. Nembang announced that the amendment was endorsed through two-thirds majority of the parliament.
Earlier, Chief Whips of Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and UCPN (Maoist) had filed a joint resolution motion to ensure that the amendment will revive the post of Vice President Jha.
Maoists´ Chief Whip Post Bahadur Bogati had read out the joint resolution motion at the beginning of Thursday´s meeting, begging support from all political parties to the resolution motion.
Sunil Prajapati and Nawa Raj Koirala of Nepal Workers and Peasant Party, Sarita Giri of Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandidevi), Biswendra Pasawan of Dalit Janajati Party and Independent lawmaker Sadarul Haq Miya had filed separate amendment proposals against the joint resolution. An overwhelming majority of lawmakers passed the joint resolution motion, while rejecting all three amendment proposals.
Prajapati, Giri, Paswan, Atmaram Prasad Shah of Madhesi People´s Rights Forum, and Dol Bahadur Karki of CPN-UML had also filed separate amendment proposals against the seventh amendment to the Interim Constitution. All but Prajapati had later withdrawn their proposals.
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