Patriotic Front
PresidentEdgar Lungu
Secretary-GeneralDavies Mwila
FounderMichael Sata
Founded2001 (2001)
Split fromMMD
HeadquartersFarmer House, Cairo Road, Lusaka
IdeologySocial democracy[1][2]
Social conservatism[2]
Political positionCentre-left[2]
International affiliationSocialist International (consultative)[3]
Colours  Black
  Blue
  Green
  White
Slogan"For Lower Taxes, More Jobs and More Money in Your Pockets"
National Assembly
60 / 156
Pan African Parliament
2 / 5
Election symbol
Boat
Website
Facebook page

The Patriotic Front (PF) is a social democratic political party in Zambia. The party was formed by Michael Sata as a breakaway party of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) in 2001 after the President Frederick Chiluba nominated Levy Mwanawasa as its presidential candidate for 2001 elections. The party's main base of support are usually the youth and poor people in urban centres.

After several years, the PF gained power in the 2011 general elections, and governed until the 2021 elections.

Formation

The Patriotic Front was formed as a political party in 2001. In 2000, after Chiluba lost a bid to change the constitution to allow him to stand for third term, Michael Sata thought he would be endorsed as the MMD presidential candidate. The answer was given in 2001 when Chiluba noted that none of those (including Sata) who were in his government at the time were capable of winning the elections. At a secret ballot, Chiluba personally nominated Mwanawasa and voted for him to be the presidential candidate.[4] Angered by this turn of events, Sata quit the MMD and founded the PF.[5] At the same time, notable figures like Christon Tembo, Godfrey Miyanda and Edith Nawakwi formed the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) Party. Sata became leader of the PF and was its presidential candidate for the 2001 general elections; he received 3.4% of the vote, finishing seventh out of the eleven candidates. In the National Assembly elections the party received 2.8% of the vote, winning a single seat.

Sata was again the party's presidential candidate in the 2006 general elections, this time finishing second to Levy Patrick Mwanawasa with 29% of the vote. With its National Assembly vote share increasing to 23%, the party won 43 seats, becoming the largest opposition party. Following Mwanawasa's death, a presidential by-election was held in 2008. Sata finished second to MMD candidate Rupiah Banda with 38% of the vote to Banda's 40%.

The 2011 general elections saw a reversal of the 2008 result, with Sata beating Banda by a margin of 42% to 35%. The PF also became the largest party in the National Assembly, winning 60 of the 150 seats. However, Sata died in office in October 2014. Vice-President Guy Scott took over as interim president until a by-election was held in January 2015. Edgar Lungu was selected as the party's candidate, and won the election with 48% of the vote.

In 2016, Edgar Lungu won again as the president with 50.35%, beating Hakainde Hichilema, now the President of Zambia by 100,530 votes or 2.72%.

In the lead up to the 2021 general election, Amnesty International publicly raised concerns about the violation of civil liberties, crackdowns on dissent and police killings while the party held political power.[6]

Electoral history

Presidential elections

Election Party candidate Votes % Result
2001 Michael Sata 59,172 3.40% Lost Red X
2006 804,748 29.37% Lost Red X
2008 683,150 38.13% Lost Red X
2011 1,170,966 41.98% Elected Green tick
2015 Edgar Lungu 807,925 48.33% Elected Green tick
2016 1,860,877 50.35% Elected Green tick
2021 1,870,780 38.71% Lost Red X

National Assembly elections

Election Votes % Seats +/– Position Outcome
2001 49,362 2.82%
1 / 159
 Increase 1 Increase 7th Opposition
2006 622,864 22.96%
43 / 159
 Increase 42 Increase 2nd Opposition
2011 1,037,108 38.42%
60 / 159
 Increase 17 Increase 1st Minority government
2016 1,537,946 42.01%
80 / 156
 Increase 20 Steady 1st Majority government
2021 1,722,718 35.70%
60 / 156
 Decrease 20 Decrease 2nd Opposition

References

  1. ↑ "Zambia". www.worldstatesmen.org. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "Zambia - Africa Elects". africaelects.com. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  3. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20131216005724/https://www.socialistinternational.org/images/dynamicImages/files/Council%20decisions-1.pdf Decisions of the Council
  4. ↑ Presidential term limits in Africa by Daniel Vencovsky Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine AfricaFiles
  5. ↑ Shingi (27 September 2008). "Who will be Zambia's next president?". Knowledge for Development. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  6. ↑ "Zambia: Killings and brutal crackdown against dissent set the tone for August election". www.amnesty.org. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
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