KATHMANDU: A Parliamentary Party (PP) meeting of the CPN-UML held at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar endorsed its statute on Saturday.

The proposal relating to the amendment of the PP statute, drafted in 2072 BS, has been endorsed with amendments.

According to party chief whip Bishal Bhattarai, the statute had to be amended as it needed some revision.

The revised statute grants a right to the parliamentary leader to suspend up to six months a lawmaker going against the party decision and working against the party interest.

Similarly, it has the provisions of nominating the parliamentary party deputy-leader, chief whip and whip, National Assembly’s whip, and the party’s representative by the parliamentary party leader.

The meeting unanimously endorsed the decision to form a 24-member Parliamentary Board on the basis of the March 18 proposal.

The Board comprises parliamentary party leader and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, deputy leader Subash Nembang, chief whip Bhattarai, whip Shanta Chaudhary, ex-officio member Jhalanath Khanal, Madhav Kumar Nepal, Suman Pyakurel, Khimlal Bhattarai, Dr Binda Pandey, Radha Kumari Gyawali, and Damodar Pandey among others.

It may be noted that a taskforce coordinated by chief whip Bhattarai and comprising HoR member Sher Bahadur Tamang and National Assembly member Bimala Rai Poudel was formed to endorse the amendment-related proposal.

Leaders Bamdev Gautam and lawmaker Krishna Bhakta Pokhrel of the Madhav Kumar Nepal faction were also present in the meeting.