The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Katonga faction, has given the Uganda Electoral Commission (EC) an ultimatum of one week to serve the party promoter with new party requisite registration forms or face the law.
While addressing the media on September 16, 2024, at the party headquarters on Katonga Road in Kampala, the party president, Erias Lukwago, noted that the new party, the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), intended to be registered, has all the necessary requirements for registration but has been shunned by the EC over what he called small issues like colors, name, symbol, and slogan to be used by the party.
“The Electoral Commission contends that the name People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) closely resembles an already reserved political party name, People Power Front (PPF), and also has colors similar to the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC). On the contrary, reservation of a name before registration is desirable but not mandatory, and the allegations of similarity in colors are not true because the PFF intends to use royal blue while the FDC uses sky blue. We therefore call upon IEC to meet our promoters as provided for under Section 7(2) of the Political Parties and Organizations Act 2005 in one week’s time, or else we shall be forced to use the law,” Lukwago noted.
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Lukwago added that the EC is not independent, stating that it is being used by the state to underlook efforts of change-bringing forces, and that is why the commission is declining the new party registration process.
“We are aware that the IEC is not independent since all its top directors are appointed by President Museveni. The PFF has all the right particulars to get registered by the IEC, but it is being controlled by the state to put down all the efforts of change-bringing forces,” he added.
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On August 27, 2024, a delegation of 12 leaders from Katonga embarked on the preliminary process of registering the PFF Party. On September 4, 2024, the IEC issued a communication to the promoters of PFF stating that it had not complied with the provisions of sections 7(1)(c) and 8 of the Political Parties and Organizations Act 2005.
