The Tonse Alliance has with immediate effect removed the Given Lubinda-led Patriotic Front faction from the coalition. Tonse Alliance Caretaker Chairman, Danny Pule, disclosed the development at the press briefing in Lusaka today. Professor Pule, who was flanked by Alliance Vice Chairman, Chifumu Banda, said the decision to remove the Lubinda-led PF was arrived at by the Alliance Council of Leaders during a meeting yesterday.
Pule, who is also Christian Democratic Party president, announced that the Alliance will recognise the ECL PF Political Movement. “PF has been removed from the Tonse Alliance and the Alliance will only embrace and work with the ECL PF Political Movement in order to honour the wishes of late Dr Lungu. The Tonse Alliance shall henceforth not entertain any association with the PF party,” he stated.
He further announced that the alliance will also not recognise the Robert Chabinga-led PF faction as it allegedly has had a leadership crisis, court wrangles, factionalism, divisions, rivalry and chaotic politics for many months especially after the death of the former President, Edgar Lungu. “The Council of Leaders unanimously agreed that the Tonse Alliance has done away with anything to do with the Chabinga-led PF party faction that had a leadership crisis, court battles, divisions, rivalry and chaotic politics and delayed to make progress,” he said. He also revealed that the alliance’s constitution has been amended in order to allow all members to contest any positions ahead of the August presidential and general elections.
Read Full Article on Lusaka Times
[paywall]
Meanwhile, the Tonse Alliance Caretaker Chairman explained that as part of the reforms, the alliance resolved to convene a General Congress this month to elect a new chairman, presidential candidate and other key office bearers, acknowledging that failure to elect a successor after Dr Lungu’s death, had plunged it into a ‘crisis.’ “We shall through the General Congress, the highest decision making organ of Tonse Alliance, hold democratic elections this month of January to prepare ourselves for August polls,” he said. In its amended reforms, the Tonse Alliance Council of Leaders appointed Zumani Zimba as ECL PF Political Movement Chairman.
[/paywall]
