CPN Vice-Chairman Bam Dev Gautam has met Chairman of the Dahal-Nepal faction of CPN Pushpa Kamal Dahal at the latter's residence in Khumaltar Thursday morning.
Gautam's press advisor Bishwo Mani Subedi told Setopati that Gautam proposed Dahal to stand for unity. The two leaders spoke for around 30 months but Dahal did not respond to Gautam's proposal for party unity.
Gautam advised Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli to self-criticize and resign on Wednesday.
Speaking with News Agency Nepal a day after the Supreme Court (SC) revoked Oli's decision to dissolve House of Representatives Gautam, who has not joined any of the two rival CPN factions, said Oli should resign on moral grounds as the Apex Court has already called his step unconstitutional.
"He should resign immediately to correct himself. Should have resigned yesterday itself. He should have resigned immediately after the SC verdict was issue but he has not resigned yet," Gautam said.
He took a swipe at Oli saying moral grounds apparently matter only for those who have morality and then expressed hoped that those who have been dedicated to the communist movement for such a long time will consider moral grounds. "I once again tell him from this information center to resign immediately. Do resign and call for party unity. Say 'I made a mistake and I want to correct myself. I have already resigned for that and let's move forward uniting in a new manner.'"
He also opined that the victorious Dahal-Nepal faction should take initiative for party unity. He said that Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhav Kumar Nepal should have urged everyone for unity and complained that they seemed to urge others to leave the Oli faction and join theirs instead.
He stressed that he will still try for party unity. "I will go and meet the two chairmen (Oli and Dahal), general secretary (Bishnu Paudel) and tell them to take initiative for party unity."
He lauded the SC decision pointing that it has protected the Constitution. "This decision has reinstated the sovereign powers of the Nepali people. This has also instilled a sense of discipline pointing that one cannot arbitrarily do whatever one wishes."
