General congress can end Tonse wrangles – Zumani
By Mast Reporter
THE current misunderstandings surrounding the leadership of the opposition Tonse Alliance will only be resolved once two clauses in its constitution are mended, lead consultant Dr Chris Zimba has said.
Dr Zimba said it was too early for National Congress Party (NCP) leader Reverend Peter Chanda to talk about his status in the alliance because his party was a mere special vehicle to front the Patriotic Front (PF) in by-elections.
He was reacting to Rev Chanda’s statement that former president and Tonse Alliance chairman Edgar Lungu had earmarked him as his possible successor since the alliance had been using his party to field candidates.
Dr Zimba, who was Lungu’s political advisor, said Tonse Alliance had used the current constitution to use Lungu in his personal capacity to effectively woo other opposition parties to join or work with the alliance, which had created a complication after his death.
It had therefore become necessary to hold a general congress to amend the two clauses in the constitution that barred leaders from outside the Lungu-PF movement from contesting and assuming the chairmanship of the alliance or stand as its presidential candidate in next year’s general elections.
“Article 11. (I) and (II) of Tonse Alliance categorically says:
- Given that it is resolved and agreed that , the 2026 presidential candidate shall come from the ‘ECL Patriotic Front [PF] Political Movement’, Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu shall immediately assume the position of chairperson of the Alliance as well as candidate after accepting his candidacy adoption at the official launch of the alliance to the exclusion of the general congress since Tonse is a moving electoral pact,” Dr Zimba said.
He said according to clause II, the general congress would merely ceremoniously affirm the 2026 presidential candidate, Lungu, since the actual adoption would have already been done at the official launch of Tonse.
“When we say that we need the Tonse Alliance general congress either in November or early December, 2025, these are complex issues we need to collectively discuss, amicably resolve and quickly cure as a family soonest besides electing our new chairman and 2026 presidential,” Dr Zimba said.
“We urgently need the alliance chairman and candidate with compelling popular legitimacy and democratic approval from Tonse members via the General Congress.”
He said once the general congress approved amendments to article 11. (I) and (II), then “all leaders who are members of Tonse Alliance” shall be free to contest the chairmanship and 2026 presidential candidacy alongside those from the “ECL PF Movement”.
