Paramananda Jha has been reinstated in the post of Nepal’s Vice President after he took fresh oath of office and secrecy in Nepali and Maithili language on Sunday.
Jha’s vice presidency had remained inactive after he refused to take fresh oath in Nepali language, as directed by the Supreme Court on July 24, 2009.
In a writ petition filed by an ultra-nationalist lawyer, the apex court had nullified Jha’s earlier oath in Hindi on July 23, 2008 and asked him to take oath in Nepali language within seven days if he wanted to continue assuming the post of vice president.
Hindi is not official language in Nepal though it is used as contact language in southern part of Nepal.
Jha, however, had snubbed taking oath in Nepali language arguing that he would take fresh oath only in mother tongue, Maithili—something not allowed by the constitution.
The oath controversy came to an end after Legislature Parliament recently endorsed seventh amendment in the Interim Constitution allowing President and Vice President to take their oath of office and secretary in the mother tongue of their choice.
According to the amended constitution, someone wishing to take oath in his/her mother tongue, however, needs to register a translation of the oath in the relevant language at the President's office 24 hours before the swearing in function.
Officials said the Office of the Vice President had registered a letter at the President´s office on Saturday with a copy of the oath´s translation in Maithili. Jha signed both Nepali and Maithili copies of the oath after the swearing-in ceremony.
As President Dr Ram Baran Yadav administered oath of office and secrecy in Nepali language amidst a special function held at Shital Niwas, Jha had repeated the oath simultaneously in both Nepali and his mother tongue Maithili.
- Asian Tribune -
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