KATHMANDU: Despite the new political turn with the appointment of Sher Bahadur Deuba as prime minister, the five agitating political parties continued their protest against ‘regression’ in the capital on Wednesday.

The participation of protestors was however very low, as the leaders of CPN-UML, one of the key allies, expressed supporting remarks over Deuba’s appointment, saying the party would pull out of the protests if it was actually the reinstatement of the government that was toppled on October 4, 2002.

An anti-‘regression’ rally was taken out from Ratna Park that marched past major thoroughfares of the city and converged into a sit-in protest again at Ratna Park.

Few central leaders of the Nepali Congress and People’s Front Nepal were present at the demonstrations while no leaders of the UML and Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandi Devi) joined in.

Meanwhile, the Nepali Congress (Democratic) activists staged rallies at different places to celebrate the ‘victory’ of the party that, for over a month, had been waging a movement demanding the Deuba government’s reinstatement.

A mass meeting was organized at Bhrikutimandap where central leaders Chitra Lekha Yadav, Bal Krishna Khad and Minendra Rijal addressed the party workers.