Petition Filed to Force Registration of “The Gen Z Party” After Name Rejection

Petition Filed to Force Registration of “The Gen Z Party” After Name Rejection

A petition has been submitted to the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal, aiming to force the Registrar of Political Parties to officially register “The Gen Z Party.”

James Ogega filed this petition after his request to reserve and register the party name was denied by the Registrar, despite payment of the required fees, as outlined in Section 4B of the Political Parties Act.

“Three weeks after the initial application, on July 16, 2024, an officer from the Respondent’s office informed the appellant of a letter from the Registrar of Political Parties that was ready for collection,” according to official court documents reviewed by Gossipa2z.com

Upon collecting the letter on July 18, 2024, Ogega found that it, dated July 11, 2024, rejected the name “The Gen Z Party,” claiming it did not support inclusivity as mandated by Article 91 (1) (a) (e) of the Constitution.

Ogega argues that the Registrar’s decision contradicts constitutional principles, specifically Articles 10, 20(2), 31(3), 27(4), 28, 36, 38, and 232.

He contends that the Registrar failed to provide a clear interpretation of the name “The Gen Z Party” before denying the reservation, merely stating it lacked inclusivity. Ogega believes the name could have various meanings, such as Generation Zote, Generation Zion, General Zod, Gender Z, or General Zeus.

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Moreover, he asserts that the Registrar erred by prematurely concluding that the name did not promote inclusivity without reviewing the proposed party’s membership list and that this conclusion was discriminatory and infringing on his political rights. Section 8 of the Political Parties Act specifies the names that cannot be registered.

Ogega also points out that Section 4B(3) of the Political Parties Act requires the registrar to respond within 14 days, but he received a response after 21 days.

“The Officer from the Registrar of Political Parties contacted the Appellant on July 16, 2024, the 21st day after the application was made,” said Ogega.

He claims that the 14-day response period had expired, implying the name reservation should have been considered effective, and that Article 38 (1) of the Constitution guarantees citizens the right to form a political party, with name reservation being a preliminary step.

Ogega has asked the Tribunal to rule that the Registrar’s decision to deny the name reservation is discriminatory and unconstitutional, as it infringes on his political rights.

He requests that the Tribunal overturn the Registrar’s July 11, 2024 decision and instruct the Registrar to formally reserve the name “The Gen Z Party” as of June 24, 2024, or alternatively, that the name “Gen Z Party” be reserved as of that date.

Petition Filed to Force Registration of “The Gen Z Party” After Name Rejection