KATHMANDU: The main opposition party UCPN-Maoist agreed to assist in the procedure of the seventh amendment of the Interim Constitution. The Maoists’ decision comes after a joint meeting between the Madhes-based parties of the incumbent government and UCPN-Maoist in Shantinagar on Monday.

The support of the UCPN-Maoist, the largest party in the Parliament, is indispensable for amending the constitution with a two-thirds majority in the 601-member parliament. With the Maoists’ nod, it would pave the way for taking oath in mother tongues by the country’s President and Vice President. The present constitutional provision stipulates that the President and the Vice President should take the official oath in the Nepali language while there is no provision for the lawmakers of the country.

Meanwhile, the meeting also agreed to activate the post of the VP by tabling a joint resolution motion in the House, informed Rajendra Mahato, chairman of Nepal Sadbhavana Party. The VP post has been lying defunct ever since the Supreme Court nullified the oath taken by Parmananda Jha in the Hindi language.

Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, vice-chairman Baburam Bhattarai, Maoist Parliamentary Party leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Deputy Prime Minister and chairman of Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Democratic Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar, chairman of Terai Madhes Democratic Party Mahanta Thakur and chairman of Sadhbawana Party-Mahato Rajendra Mahato, among others were present in the meeting.