ACTING Patriotic Front (PF) president and Tonse Alliance chairperson Given Lubinda has appealed to party members to exercise patience and refrain from pursuing leadership ambitions.
He said the immediate priority is to strengthen party structures ahead of the next central committee elections.
Speaking when he featured on KBN TV last evening Lubinda explained that discussing personal ambitions while the late PF president’s remains are still in the morgue would be inappropriate and disrespectful.
“My boss, is still above earth, his remains are still in the morgue, and for me to start talking about my ambitions would be totally immoral. I would rather wait until the remains of my boss are interred in a dignified manner so that when the dust is settled, I can start to think about my future role in the Patriotic Front,” Lubinda said.
The makeshift leader said while some individuals may already be positioning themselves for leadership roles, claiming advantage from perceived endorsements by the late president, patience and adherence to the PF constitution must guide the process.
Meanwhile, Lubinda revealed the PF plans to hold a party convention to elect new leadership are being delayed due to unresolved court cases.
The former Kabwata lawmaker explained that the party has already started preparations for a convention expected between April and May 2026, in line with the expiry of the current central committee’s five-year mandate.
However, he emphasized that the judiciary remains the main obstacle preventing the process from moving forward.
“The major stumbling block for the time being is the judiciary because if we were to go to the convention say tomorrow and we elected a leadership, that leadership would have to be recognised by Registrar of Societies,” Lubinda said.
He further said the ongoing legal battles relating to internal leadership disputes mean that any elected leadership at this stage cannot be officially recognised until the courts provide clarity.
Last year, the PF was entangled with leadership wrangles with different presidents sprouting and causing factions after failing to hold a convention since May 2021, before the general election which displaced their administration from government.
This has resulted into legal battles which the party hopes will be resolved to have order in leadership.
Lubinda noted that the party is closely monitoring developments in the judiciary and will proceed with the convention once the necessary legal clearances are obtained.
By George Musonda
Kalemba August 22, 2025
