TONSE ALLIANCE STATEMENT REGARDING THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH TO BE HELD AT MELSIM LODGE IN LUSAKA ON THURSDAY, 7TH NOVEMBER 2024
Liberty House, 5th November 2024
1. The TONSE Alliance is an alliance that consists of several opposition political parties, civil society organizations, and other key stakeholders who are diserous of effectively contributing to the overall governance of Zambia through the provision of checks and balances to the Government of the day, as well as an alternative Government in waiting at the scheduled 2026 general elections.
2. The TONSE Alliance shall be formally launched this week on Thursday, 7th November 2024 at Melsim Lodge along Alick Nkhata Road in Mass Media area of Lusaka. The program will start at 09hrs to 12hrs, and due to limited space, only invited guests will be allowed to attend. The Alliance has so far extended invitations to various key stakeholders including civil society organizations, church mother bodies, traditional leaders as well as the diplomatic corps including the United States Ambassador to Zambia, the Russian Ambassador, the Chinese Ambassador etcetera. So far, about 80 percent of the invited guests have confirmed their attendance.
3. The TONSE Alliance intends to utilize the occasion of it’s official launch to cement good relations and brotherhood among the diverse opposition political players in Zambia, in the hope of presenting a united opposition by 2026. In this regard, the TONSE Alliance has extended an invitation to other opposition political players including the United Kwacha Alliance, the Socialist Party, etcetera. This effort was made in recognition of the numerous demands by the Zambia people that they want a united opposition front, so as to ensure that there are no split votes in the 2026 general elections.
4. During the official launch this Thursday, the TONSE Alliance shall also sign the founding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) among it’s various members, as well as unveil it’s Presidential Candidate for the 2026 general elections. The TONSE Alliance’s decision to unveil it’s 2026 Presidential Candidate is premised on the realization that a Presidential Candidate requires adequate time to prepare for a presidential election. Once unveiled, the TONSE Alliance 2026 Presidential Candidate is expected to constitute the Alliance Shadow Cabinet within a period of 30 days. Such a Shadow Cabinet will allow the Alliance to more effectively discharge it’s duties, including the provision of effective checks and balances on the Government of the day.
5. The TONSE Alliance is cognizant of the efforts and appetite by the ruling UPND party to form alliances with other political parties, the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the UPND leader Dr. Hakainde Hichilema and the MMD Leader, Dr. Nevers Mumba, being the most recent notable event. In this vain, it is the hope and wish of the TONSE Alliance that just like the UPND and MMD were allowed to sign their MoU without any disturbances or disruption, the TONSE Alliance will equally do so, as we seek to enhance the tenets of democracy for our nation, and endeavor to deliver the necessary economic prosperity in accordance with the wishes, expectations and aspirations of the Zambia people.
May God Bless Us and the Republic of Zambia as we embark on this new political chapter for our nation.
ISSUED BY:
SEAN E. TEMBO (SET)
PARTY PRESIDENT FOR THE PATRIOTS FOR ECONOMIC PROGRESS (PeP) & TONSE ALLIANCE SPOKESPERSON
LUSAKA, ZAMBIA