PF IS NO LONGER THE MAIN OPPOSITION
The Candidate’s Comment
SOCIALIST Party National Chairman for Youths and Security Kelvin Kaunda says the former ruling party, the Patriotic Front (PF) is no more and that everyday this party is getting worse.
Kelvin’s remarks have attracted a scornful reaction from PF National Youth Chairman Christopher Kang’ombe who argues that his party remains the main opposition, larger than any other in Zambia because it has 60 Members of Parliament.
Is Christopher normal? Is he being honest?
We agree with Kelvin that PF is getting worse every day and that this party is no more.
The arguement by Christopher that his party is the largest opposition in Zambia is ,of course, based on his personal feelings. Christopher has chosen to believe in his personal feelings and what he wishes to see.
Having a large number of MPs in Parliament doesn’t make your party the largest. A party must be judged on the premise of its effectiveness and impact to the people. Does PF have any impact in its checks and balances? Whom does PF influence at the moment? No matter how PF talks , no one is taking them seriously. PF is a tainted party that still suffers from the many crimes it committed against Zambians, which necessitated its loss in the previous elections.
We draw our convictions from history. When PF won the election in 2011, based on numbers in Parliament, Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) was the largest opposition party. In that election, PF had 60+ MPs while MMD had 55 MPs and UPND had only 28 MPs.
In consideration of votes, the PF got 1,037,108 ( 38.42%) while MMD had 902,619 (33.44%) and UPND had 464,527 (17.21%).
While these results portray that the main opposition was MMD after the 2011 elections, the reality was different on the ground.
UPND became a de facto main opposition party immediately after the election until it won in 2021. We all know that UPND was more effective in providing checks and balances to the PF more than MMD. We all know that MMD became useless immediately it lost power despite having many MPs than UPND. From having 55 MPs, MMD has crumbled to a point where in its current mode, the only person known as a member of that party is Nevers Mumba who appears to be a member of the UPND than a President of his party.
PF and its minions can argue all they want but the truth is that, their party is on its deathbed. It will soon be exactly one year after PF lost elections and there is no sign that this party is going anywhere.
They keep cheating themselves that they are rebranding after the loss. When you look at the developments in their party after losing elections, clearly, they have not rebranded into anything. If anything, they have carried on with their style of hooliganism, ignorance and arrogance.
The mere appointments into positions of people you sleep with doesn’t mean you’re going anywhere. Look at the characters who have been awarded positions in various party structures. Who are they? What was the criteria used to appoint these elements into these positions?
In a normal situation, these positions, including the one Christopher is occupying should be subjected to a vote. The entire Central Committee was appointed by one person, Edgar Lungu. They’re elements occupying those positions not because the general membership support and want them. They’re in those positions because that is what Edgar wanted. In normal circumstances, they should all be subjected to a vote. But knowing PF, those who feel they have some sort of power will want to manipulate their way into leadership and in order to do that, they have go maintain those appointed by Edgar into the Central Committee. We all know that Chishimba Kambwili is the most wanted person to be in Central Committee by the general membership of PF but until now, those who have some sort of power have decided to keep him out. Why? Is that rebranding? The way they’re treating Chishimba and other Presidential aspirants is the same way they behaved even while they were in power. Nothing has changed and yet some fools want to have us believe they have rebranded.
Of course, the truth is that PF is no longer the main opposition. Yes, they have some MPs but if an election was held today, can PF still maintain the number of MPs it has? Who,in their normal senses can again vote for such a party that is locked in confusion?
The truth is PF is no longer the main opposition. The same way MMD crumbled is the same way they will crumble. In fact, most of their MPs are only with them because they cannot afford a byelection. They have already decided to leave. When Parliament dissolves in 2026, Christopher and his friends will understand better that their party is shell.