CPN-UML on Thursday has instructed lawmakers to not hold factional meetings and warned those attending such factional meetings of action.
The parliamentary party meeting called by Chairman and Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli at the PM's residence in Baluwatar has instructed the lawmakers to not attend factional meetings, and urged those who are attending them now to self-criticize and regularly attend the meetings called by the party and parliamentary party.
The meeting has warned lawmakers attending the factional meetings defying the decision taken Thursday of action, according to a lawmaker.
Meanwhile, UML lawmaker and former minister Lal Babu Pandit, who had not attended any factional meeting of both unified CPN and UML after the Supreme Court invalidated unification of UML and CPN (Maoist Center), attended the parliamentary party meeting called by Oli Thursday.
The meeting also formed the 27-strong parliamentary board led by Oli who is the parliamentary party leader. Deputy parliamentary party leader Subash Chandra Nembang, chief whip Bishal Bhattarai and whip Shanta Chaudhary are ex officio members of the board.
Other members include Khanal, Nepal, Suman Pyakurel, Bimala Rai, Khim Lal Bhattarai, Radha Gyawali, Damodar Bhandari, Binda Pandey, Bidya Bhattarai, Rajendra Rai, Rekha Jha, Sher Bahadur Tamang, Chhabi Lal Bishwokarma, Raghubir Mahaseth, Narad Mani Rana, Mohan Baniya, Bhupendra Thapa, Khem Lohani, Sarita Neupane and Bimala BK.
Lawmaker Tamang told Setopati that three members will be nominated later to complete the board that includes no one from the Khanal-Nepal faction apart from Khanal and Nepal.
The faction boycotted the parliamentary party meeting called by Oli and convened a meeting of lawmakers at Hotel Heritage Garden in Sanepa before the meeting called by Oli.
The ruling party is divided after the Supreme Court (SC) on March 7 invalidated unification of the then CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Center) restoring the two parties to the status of the day they were unified.
The dispute intensified further after Oli held a central committee meeting on March 12 and unilaterally took away responsibilities of leaders of the Khanal-Nepal faction which formed parallel committees in retaliation the next day.
The Khanal-Nepal faction has been holding a national gathering of party leaders and cadres since Wednesday.
