The 68-party front led by the Naya Shakti Nepal launched a weeklong relay hunger strike at Ratna Park on Saturday, demanding party-wise election symbols to the parties outside Parliament.

Leaders of the front warned that all the election-related activities of the government would be disturbed unless they were provided with election symbols and ensured that all the parties join the polls.

Launching the hunger strike, NSN coordinator Baburam Bhattarai said parties still had to struggle for a complete democracy even in the republican set up. “Colleagues of previous movements have started practicing autocratic regime after reaching to the leadership of the state,” he said, terming the government’s denial of election symbols to the parties outside Parliament as counter revolution.

Bhattarai accused his former colleague and PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal of trying to revive the autocratic Panchayat regime. Dismissing government’s clarification that the ballot paper would be long if all the parties were given their election symbols as nonsense, the former prime minister claimed that only seven or eight parties would compete in all 75 districts of the country.

“It’s utterly undemocratic to take a decision based on the outdated strength after the promulgation of a new constitution,” he added. 

Bhattarai, who is preparing to unify his party with the Upendra Yadav-led Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum Nepal, said the lasting peace would not be possible until the government addresses discontents and dissatisfaction of the people and ensure their participation in the polls. He also accused the big three parties to have looted the state’s coffer and they have started feasting throughout the nation and also disbursing money at local levels.