1. Single-issue political parties have often stayed on the fringes of mainstream politics perhaps because there is always the question that what happens when the issue that led to the forming of the party is resolved?
2. Isn't the cause best served by forming a pressure group or movement as proposed by Mr Busuulwa? Isn't FedsNet a pressure group? Is it wrong to suppose that the life of FedsNet is ad tempus to end its services when Uganda achieves federo status?
3. Single-issue political parties tend to fall into a black and white category, which hinges on the politics of extremes and if one is an advocate of peaceful co-existence, reflecting on the proposal should be worthy of consideration.4. Political parties are by their very nature bodies of opinion and it may not be healthy to have a political party seeking to put its membership in a straight jacket because a ruthless leader will use that as an excuse to witch-hunt opponents and find reasons to create a dictatorship. Examples are too many to enumerate and staining federo this way could give ammunition to those intent on being mischievous and malicious. We ought to see federo in our lifetime.
5. If we agreed that federo is a means to an end, the end, for example, being a peaceful co-existence of a diverse people with histories shared and exclusive aplenty, then the goal is to persuade the mischievous opponents and ignorants alike to work with us in whichever political party might be their home. They have to be told that the shortcut to that peaceful co-existence which has eluded us for 36 years is through federo, a system most likely to encourage [sustainable] development and political confidence from the grassroots.
6. It has to be said that opponents of federo are the political party leaders who see federo as a system that denies them absolute power. It is my experience that I do not know of ordinary Acoli, Mukiga, and Musoga etc. who has anything in principle against federo rather it is the leadership of UPC, DP and NRM who are the problem. Our message must be that power shared will give birth to peaceful co-existence and accountability. Therefore power must be devolved rather than delegated.
7. If Ugandans were to agree the object of a federo system that delivers a goal of peaceful co-existence, recognising what brings us together and our differences it is arguable whether the idea of a federo party would make much sense. Indeed what happens once the goal of a federo state is achieved would the federo party be of any further use? There are very few redeeming features for a federo party now or in the future of our struggle to give our country direction in my view.8. Moving on to the question of political parties and their relevance in all this. I am often disappointed in people who rely exclusively on popular opinion to decide the relevancy of a principle. Who I choose to associate with is a matter for me but as a rational being I am mindful that to mobilise in matters political, economic or social, I must mobilise or join with other to achieve my goal. For the sake of argument, it wouldn't matter whether or not I believe in those I mobilise or join - this is something we need to bear in mind all the time. The point here being that I could join DP or UPC or NRM or CP for the purpose of persuading the leadership of that party to work with me to bringing federo to Uganda. It is important that we recognise that any given political party will have agendas of it own, honourable or otherwise.
9. We must also recognise that political parties are a necessity of the democratic system. Our individual (including universal) rights are informed by a need to assemble and associate as we please provided we do not breach our criminal laws. For example, if you aid and abate a crime you are vulnerable to a criminal charge, which could compromise your individual rights. That said, it is a redundant argument to talk the pessimist talk that Ugandans are tired of political parties. Don't turn your dislike or hatred for UPC or DP or NRM into some crusade because it is the right of Ugandans to reject or not to reject parties in an open and fair election. It is not for anyone to determine for the rest of us whether we should organise within political parties to effect changes for a better Uganda.
10. It may be the case that the political parties we have in Uganda are self-serving for their leaders and by and large that they are much discredited but that doesn't make forming a new party an easy task or the opportune option at the drop of a coin. My view is that we should firm up our arguments on federo; for example, along with the federo constitution we ought to start drafting state constitution. A federo constitution without state constitutions is a contract without the parties. What is the point of drawing up a contract when you have not identified the parties to the contract?
11. There is too much work yet to be tackled on federo to be diverting ourselves with talk of forming a federo party.
