KATHMANDU: CPN-UML Vice-chairman Bamdev Gautam has demanded rescinding the decision taken by the Central Committee meeting of the party Friday.

The Central Committee meeting held at Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar Friday gave two days’ ultimatum for leaders of the disgruntled faction led by senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal to withdraw their signatures from a petition that seeks a court order to make opposition leader Sher Bahadur Dueba Prime Miinister.

As many as 23 UML members and lawmakers (of Nepal faction) have signed the petition and abstained from Friday’s CC meeting.

The Central Committee sitting Friday is dubbed the party structure that existed prior to May 16, 2018. Vice-chairman Gautam also attended the meeting.

In the meeting, Gautam said that the party needed to give due respect to a senior leader, and not doing so will not help in uniting the party, cautioning that the cadres would split if the main leader was not treated with respect.

“If the main leader is not treated with respect, the bottom line is broken. There is no unity by insulting the main leader. Don’t rush, there should be unity with Madhav Nepal,” said Gautam. He said that the unity of UML should be brought to a meaningful conclusion.

Gautam also said that it was a mistake of the 23 lawmakers to sign the petition to make Nepali Congress President Deuba as the Prime Minister. “If I were, I would have resigned from the party first and signed in favor of Deuba,” he said.