Officials at the parliament secretariat are optimistic as lawmakers can´t remain absent without permission of the speaker, abstain from voting or remain neutral.[break]
The speaker at the House meeting on Thursday had directed the lawmakers not to remain absent or abstain from voting. Parties can´t boycott the voting either.
Parliament´s Business Advisory Committee has also suggested to the speaker to conduct second round of voting on the same day if none of the candidates garner majority in the first round of voting.
Though the amended regulations have made it mandatory for the lawmakers to participate in the voting, lawmakers from Madhesi People´s Rights Forum had remained absent in the voting in February when CPN-UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal was elected the prime minister.
298 is the magical number
At present, the total strength of the House is 594 as other seats in the 601-seat House have remained vacant after some lawmakers passed away and the membership of others were annulled upon the recommendations by their respective parties. A candidate must secure 298 votes to get elected.
The regulations was amended after 16 rounds of voting had failed to yield result last year as some political parties had abstained while some others remained absent in the voting. Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal was elected in the 17th round.
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