Tonse Alliance demotes bickering, disorganised PF
By George Zulu
THE Tonse Alliance has resolved that it will no longer recognise the Patriotic Front (PF) as the main vehicle for the August 13 general election.
Acting chairman Professor Dan Pule said in Lusaka yesterday the resolution was made at a meeting held on Tuesday.
“Based on the petition from our four member organisations, this council of leaders discussed nine key constitutional amendments and made resolutions on each as follows: Tonse Alliance will no longer recognise PF Party but only embrace and work with the “ECL PF Political Movement” in order to honour the wishes of Dr ECL and make progress,” Prof Pule said.
He said the council of leaders acknowledged that the continuous wrangling in the PF was unprogressive to the people’s movement, hence the need to move away.
“The council of leaders unanimously observed and agreed that the Tonse Alliance has been held at ramson and hostage, delayed to make progress and made to look institutionally disorganised as a result of the leadership crisis, wrangles, court battles, factionalism, divisions, rivalry and chaotic politics in PF as the anchor party for many months especially after the death of President Edgar Chagwa Lungu,” he said.
He said the alliance would maintain the membership of the ECL PF Political Movement as guided by the late former president.
Prof Pule said the council of leaders believed that letting go of the PF would be the only way the alliance would honour the ECL plan B.
“ECL’s wishes and political legacy since he brought and left “ECL PF Movement ” to Tonse Alliance himself when his party was treacherously taken away from him,” he said.
The council approved the ECL PF Movement as a non-registered political pressure group.
Prof Pule said the pressure group would consist of former PF ministers, permanent secretaries, members of Parliament, district commissioners, diplomats, and structures countrywide loyal to Lungu.
He said the Tonse Alliance was formed in July 2023 as an alternative political platform for Lungu’s political comeback.
Its constitution was amended to allow all leaders eligible and free to contest any position, including that of the president before the election.
“The council resolved that since ECL, the constitutional chairman and 2026 presidential candidate, is dead Tonse Alliance has abolished the exclusivity of associating the coalition chairmanship and 2026 presidential candidature to Edgar Chagwa Lungu himself and his “ECL PF Movement”, he said.
Prof Pule also announced that Tonse Alliance would hold a general congress to elect its leadership before the end of January.
The PF has been embroiled in endless infighting since the death of Lungu.
