EC declines Besigye, Lukwago and Ogutu’s request to reserve party symbols

The Electoral Commission had declined to reserve the name, colours, symbol, and slogan proposed by the former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) members based on Katonga Road ahead of registration of their political party.

Last month, the former FDC members petitioned the electoral commission, seeking the reservation of the name, colour, symbol, and slogan for their political party.

Led by Wafula Ogutu, the founding member of FDC, and 11 others, they revealed that the name of their political party is the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF).

According to Oduman Charles Okello, during their Delegates’ Conference last week, members of the faction resolved to form a new party after falling out with the leadership at the Najjanankumbi party headquarters.

“We have finished preserving the party’s name, which we believe will liberate this country.” I know the electoral commission has not yet done their part, but we have submitted the new political vehicles that can transform this nation, the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF),” he said.

“Our colour is red and royal blue, and our symbol will be a phone so that you can all say where you are.” Our slogan is freedom for all and all for freedom because we have been under captivity for a very long time. We have done our part, so we leave the electoral commission to do its part so that we embark on collecting signatures for registering this party. We have a counsellor that will help us apply so that we do the due diligence,” he said.

While responding to the former FDC Members, Mulekwah Russell Jacques Leonard, the secretary of the electoral commission, said the Political Parties and Organisations Act, 2005 (as amended), requires that the application for registration of a political party or organisation should be accompanied, among others, by a full description of the identifying symbols, slogans, and colours.

She said their submission merely stated the colours being white and royal blue and a symbol of a phone, without a full description of the said symbol and colours submitted for reservation.

“The submissions in respect of names of the proposed political party, People’s People Power Front (PPF), which is likely to confuse members of the public,” she said.

She stated that the choice of white and royal blue as colours closely resembles that of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and is likely to confuse the general public. Please refer to the symbol in use by the FDC party. The Political Parties and Organisations’ Act prohibits the usage of a colour, name, or initials of any registered political party or organisation.

“This is, therefore, to inform you that you comply with the relevant provisions under the Political Parties and Organisations ‘Act governing the registration of Political Parties and Organisations,” she said.

The FDC intraparty fights started on the eve of 2021 with two factions led by the former presidential candidate, Dr. Kiiza Besigye, and the party president Patrick Amuriat and Nandala. Besigye accused Nandala’s group of working for President Yoweri Museveni interests.

Besigye’s camp, which Kira Municipality MP Ssemujju Nganda subscribes to, accuses the Amuriat’s group of getting money from the president, Yoweri Museveni. Amuriat and the group have since refuted all claims. Amuriat’s group conversely accused Besigye and his faction of failure to disclose the source of money, which he availed of during the campaigns.

It is alleged that Besigye was trying to push Amuriat out of the race ahead of the coming party presidential elections for the Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago.

Despite being a party member, Besigye didn’t support nor conversely support Amuriat in the concluded 2021 presidential elections.

Nandala has since said that Besigye has continued to disorganise the party, yet he is not a founding member. I want to challenge him to let us know where he signed when we founded FDC. He was in South Africa and returned when the party was in place,” he said last year.