KATHMANDU: Four constituents of the United Democratic Madhesi Front have registered their note of dissent against the 16-point agreement at a constitutional panel, saying that the pact is against the spirit of the Interim Constitution and past agreements signed with the Madhesis.

The UDMF constituents that registered their note of dissent today at the Constitutional-Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee (CPDCC) are Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Nepal, Tarai Madhes Democratic Party, Sadbhawana Party and Tarai Madhes Sadbhawana Party-Nepal

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The four Madhesi parties have stated that the 16-point agreement denies  Madhesis, indigenous nationalities, Dalits, women, Muslims and marginalised communities their rights to protect their identity and ensure their rightful representation in state bodies and would deny territorial autonomy, self rule and equal rights.

The four Madhesi parties said that the 16-point pact ‘talks of forming a federal commission to deny identity-based federalism’.

Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Democratic, yet another constituent of UDMF, was expelled from the front yesterday. MJF-Democratic Chairman Bijay Kumar Gachhadar is also part of the 16-point agreement.

UDMF yesterday said MJF-Democratic signed the agreement against ‘the goals and ideals of the front’.

The four UDMF constituents have also demanded that the Pradeshes be carved out as per the erstwhile State Restructuring Commission’s report which had recommended creating 11 Pradeshes, including one non- territorial Pradesh for Dalits.

The Madhesi parties have also demanded preemptive rights in land and natural resources for indigenous nationalities and local communities.

The parties said that there should be bicameral parliament in the new constitution and constituencies should be created on the basis of population. They have demanded that federal constitution should be promulgated by the Constituent Assembly.

MJF-Nepal Chair Upendra Yadav, TMDP leader Sarvendranath Shukla, Sadbhawana Party Co-chair Laxman Lal Karna and TMSP-N Central Member Narendra Sah jointly registered their note of dissent at the constitutional panel.