IPOD Council Backs People's Front for Freedom Membership

The Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) governing council has given a green light to the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), recommending its admission into the organization. This unanimous decision marks a significant step towards PFF formally becoming a member of the platform for inter-party discussions.

PFF, which became a parliamentary party following the January 2026 general elections by securing two seats, meets the eligibility criteria for IPOD membership. However, its admission had been stalled due to disagreements concerning the conditions for joining and specific issues the party wished to have addressed by IPOD leadership.

According to IPOD Executive Director Lawrence Sserwambala, the council reviewed PFF’s interest and concluded that its admission was appropriate. “The council considered their expression of interest and unanimously agreed to recommend the admission of PFF into the IPOD fold,” Sserwambala stated.

While PFF’s chairperson, Wasswa Birigwa, indicated that the party desired certain issues, such as the detention of its leaders and the situation of exiles, to be discussed as part of its membership conditions, IPOD maintains that agenda-setting is a prerogative of current members. Sserwambala clarified that the summit agenda is determined by the IPOD council, a body PFF does not yet participate in. He expressed confidence that the concerns PFF wishes to raise would likely be addressed by existing member parties.

Formal confirmation of PFF’s membership is anticipated at the next IPOD summit, following further consultations among party leaders. This development comes as IPOD discusses membership criteria, which are increasingly linked to accessing government funding under recent amendments to the Political Parties and Organisations Act. Other parties, like the National Unity Platform and Alliance for National Transformation, are also involved in recent admission processes.

Source: https://nilepost.co.ug/news/374604/ipod-council-recommends-admission-of-pff