The Electoral Commission (EC) has deferred registration of the Peoples Front for Freedom (PFF) political party being propelled by the allies of the former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) leader Dr. Kizza Besigye.
The Besigye group (Katonga faction) has since broken ranks with the Nandala-Amuriat-led party leadership at Najjanankumbi over accusations of irregular financing from the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and its chairman, President Yoweri Museveni.
The faction, which has since thought to deregister FDC, has since stumbled in their quest for a new party.
On August 27, 2024, the group presented credentials for a new party for PFF before the Electoral Commission.
However, the response by the EC in a September 4 letter signed by Russell Jacques Leonard Mulekwah thwarted the prospects of the Katonga faction.
The EC partly hinged its decision on the provisions of Section 7(1)(c) of the Political Parties and Organisations Act, 2005, as amended, which 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.
“The submission in your letter dated August 17, 2024, merely states 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,” Mulekwah wrote.
He added, “Further, the submissions in respect of names of the proposed political party: People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) closely resemble an already reserved political party name, People Power Front (PPF), which is likely to confuse members of the public.”
The choice of white and royal blue as colours of PFF, according to the commission, closely resembles that of FDC and is likely to confuse the general public.
“Please refer to the symbol in use by the FDC Party,” Mulekwah implored the propellers of PFF.
He emphasised this by highlighting Section 8 of the Political Parties and Organisations’ Act that prohibits the usage of a colour, name, or initials of any registered political party or organisation.
