Less than 24 hours after a historic agreement that has paved way for statute drafting by May 27, several groups have declared protest programs condemning it. Although the Akhanda Far West struggle committee has taken back its protest program, the Tharuhat activists continued to clash with security forces in Dhangadi on Wednesday. Upendra Yadav led MJF-Nepal burnt effigy of Deputy Prime Minister Bijay Kumar Gachadar and copies of the agreement in eastern Terai calling it anti Madhes and the umbrella organisation of indigenous groups NEFIN has declared its own protest programs including strikes and torch rallies throughout the country.
On Tuesday, the parties had struck a deal on crucial issues of governance form and state restructuring following which CPN-UML has also joined the national unity government but at the same time Madhesi front has threatened to pull out in protest of the deal. Among others, the deal has failed to appease the Janajatis and the Dalits who have also agreed to resist attempts to quash their demands and push forward a collective agendas inside and outside the CA. .
Besides popular protests, the agreement has also created a confusion among commoners with leaders already making contradictory claims in the media. The Nepali Congress and the UML have gone on record to say that the executive powers would lie on the parliamentary elected Prime Minister but in todays central committee meeting of the UCPN-M, leaders have assured their cadres that a directly elected President will have more powers than the prime minister. Both cannot be true, but whoever has misinterpreted the agreement obviously is not happy.