Patriotic Front (PF): Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox political party
{{Infobox political party
|name = United National<br/>Independence Party
|name = Patriotic Front
|colorcode = #C94E47
|colorcode = {{Patriotic Front (Zambia)/meta/color}}
|party_logo =
|logo = [[Patriotic Front Zambia Logo.jpg]]
|leader = [[Tilyenji Kaunda]]
|leader = [[Edgar Lungu]] (Party President)
|foundation = {{start date|October 1959}}
|foundation = {{start date|2001}}
|founder = [[Mainza Chona]]
|ideology = [[Democratic socialism]]
|ideology =[[Socialism]]<br>[[Nationalism]]  
|position = [[Right-wing]]
|position = [[Centre-left]] to [[Left-wing politics|Left-wing]]
|international = [[Socialist International]] (consultative)
|international =  
|colours = [[Blue]] and [[white]]
|colours =
|headquarters = [[Farmer House (Lusaka)|Farmer House]], Cairo Road, [[Lusaka]]
|headquarters =
|seats1_title = [[National Assembly (Zambia)|National Assembly]]
|seats1_title = [[National Assembly (Zambia)|National Assembly]]
|seats1 = {{Composition bar|0|157|hex=#C94E47}}
|seats1 = {{Composition bar|60|158|hex={{Patriotic Front (Zambia)/meta/color}}}}
|seats2_title = [[Pan African Parliament]]
|seats2_title = [[Pan African Parliament]]
|seats2 = {{Composition bar|0|5|hex=#C94E47}}
|seats2 = {{Composition bar|2|5|hex={{Patriotic Front (Zambia)/meta/color}}}}
|website =  
|website = [http://www.pf.org.zm/ www.pf.org.zm]
|country = Zambia
}}
}}[[File:The National Archives UK - CO 1069-125-10.jpg|thumb|Demonstrations by the United National Independence Party (UNIP) during the visit of [[Iain Macleod]] (1960)]]


The '''United National Independence Party''' (UNIP) is a [[political party]] in [[Zambia]]. It governed the country from 1964 to 1991 under the [[president|presidency]] of [[Kenneth Kaunda]], and was the sole legal party between 1973 and 1991.
The '''Patriotic Front''' (PF) is the ruling 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 then-president [[Frederick Chiluba]] nominated [[Levy Mwanawasa]] as the MMD's presidential candidate for 2001 elections. After several years as an opposition party the PF gained power in the [[Zambian general election, 2011|2011 general elections]]. The party is a consultative member of [[Socialist International]], having been admitted in February 2013.<ref>[http://www.socialistinternational.org/images/dynamicImages/files/Council%20decisions-1.pdf Decisions of the Council] Socialist International</ref>


==History==
==Formation==
The party was founded in October 1959 as a successor to the [[Zambian African National Congress (1958–59)|Zambian African National Congress]], which had been banned earlier in the year. It was initially led by [[Mainza Chona]] as ZANC leader Kaunda had been imprisoned, but upon his release from jail in January 1960, Kaunda assumed the party's leadership.<ref>[http://thecommonwealth.org/our-member-countries/zambia/history Zambia : History] The Commonwealth</ref>
The Patriotic Front was formed as a political party in 2001. In 2000, after [[Frederick Chiluba|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.<ref>[http://www.africafiles.org/printableversion.asp?id=17065 Presidential term limits in Africa by Daniel Vencovsky] AfricaFiles</ref> Angered by this turn of events, Sata quit the MMD and founded the PF.<ref>[http://www.sardc.net/en/southern-african-news-features/who-will-be-zambias-next-president/ Who will be Zambia’s next president?] SARDC, September 2008</ref> At the same time, notable figures like [[Christon Tembo]], [[Godfrey Miyanda]] and [[Edith Nawakwi]] formed the [[Forum for Democracy and Development]] Party (FDD). Sata became leader of the PF and was its presidential candidate for the [[Zambian general election, 2001|2001 general elections]]; he received 3.4% of the vote, finishing seventh out of the eleven candidates. In the [[National Assembly (Zambia)|National Assembly]] elections the party received 2.8% of the vote, winning a single seat.


In the [[Northern Rhodesian general election, 1962|1962 general elections]] the party won 14 seats, making it the second largest party behind the European-dominated [[United Federal Party]] (UFP). However, although [[Zambian African National Congress|Northern Rhodesian African National Congress]] leader [[Harry Nkumbula]] had made a secret electoral pact with the UFP, he later opted to form a government with UNIP. After a convincing victory in the [[Northern Rhodesian general election, 1964|1964 elections]], in which UNIP won 55 of the 75 seats, Kaunda became Prime Minister of Northern Rhodesia, leading the country to independence on 24 October that year, at which point he became President.<ref name=AED>[http://africanelections.tripod.com/zm.html Elections in Zambia] African Elections Database</ref>
Sata was again the party's presidential candidate for the [[Zambian general election, 2006|2006 general elections]], this time finishing second to the 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 [[Zambian presidential election, 2008|presidential by-election]] was held in 2008. Sata finished second to MMD candidate [[Rupiah Banda]] with 38% of the vote to Banda's 40%.


In the [[Zambian general election, 1968|1968 general elections]] Kaunda was re-elected president with 82% of the vote, whilst UNIP won 81 of the 105 elected seats in the [[National Assembly (Zambia)|National Assembly]].<ref name=AED/> In 1973 the country became a [[one-party state]] with UNIP as the sole legal party; the [[constitution]] was altered and promulgated on 25 August 1973, with the [[Zambian general election, 1973|1973 elections]] described as the final steps in achieving what was called a "[[democratic centralism|one-party participatory democracy]]." National policy was formulated by the Central Committee of UNIP, the constitution stipulated that the sole presidential candidate was the person selected to be the president of UNIP by the party's general conference, and the second-ranking person in the Zambian hierarchy was UNIP's secretary general. The elections saw the presidency decided on a yes/no vote on the UNIP candidate, whilst multiple UNIP candidates contested the 125 parliamentary seats. Kaunda was re-elected president with 89% of the vote.<ref name=AED/> Elections were held under the same system in [[Zambian general election, 1978|1978]], [[Zambian general election, 1983|1983]] and [[Zambian general election, 1988|1988]].
The [[Zambian general election, 2011|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 [[Zambian presidential election, 2015|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.
 
At the end of 1990 multi-party democracy was reintroduced, resulting in a strong challenge to UNIP in the [[Zambian general election, 1991|general elections]] that year. Kaunda was defeated in the presidential vote by [[Movement for Multi-Party Democracy]] candidate [[Frederick Chiluba]], receiving just 24% of the vote. In the National Assembly elections UNIP won 25 seats, whilst the MMD won 125.<ref name=AED/>
 
Following changes to the constitution which barred Kaunda from running for president again, UNIP boycotted the [[Zambian general election, 1996|1996 elections]], although two members contested National Assembly seats. The party returned to contest the [[Zambian general election, 2001|2001 elections]] with [[Tilyenji Kaunda]] as its presidential candidate; he received 10% of the vote, finishing fourth out of the eleven candidates. In the National Assembly elections the party won 13 seats.<ref name=AED/>
 
Prior to the [[Zambian general election, 2006|2006 elections]] the party joined the [[United Democratic Alliance (Zambia)|United Democratic Alliance]] alongside the other two largest opposition parties. [[United Party for National Development]] leader [[Hakainde Hichilema]] was the alliance's presidential candidate, finishing third. The alliance won just 26 seats in the National Assembly, down from the 74 the three parties had won in 2001.
 
UNIP did not contest the [[Zambian presidential election, 2008|2008 presidential by-election]], but nominated Tilyenji Kaunda as its presidential candidate for the [[Zambian general election, 2011|2011 elections]]. Kaunda received less than 1% of the vote, finishing sixth in a field of ten candidates. The party also failed to win a seat in the National Assembly, receiving only 0.7% of the vote.<ref name=AED/> Kaunda ran in the [[Zambian presidential election, 2015|2015 presidential by-election]], but again received less than 1% of the vote.


==References==
==References==
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==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category-inline|United National Independence Party}}
*[http://www.pf.org.zm/ Official website]


{{Zambian political parties}}
{{Zambian political parties}}


[[Category:United National Independence Party| ]]
[[Category:Political parties in Zambia]]
[[Category:Political parties in Zambia]]
[[Category:Parties of one-party systems]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 2001]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 1959]]
[[Category:2001 establishments in Zambia]]
[[Category:1959 establishments in Northern Rhodesia]]
[[Category:Consultative member parties of the Socialist International]]

Latest revision as of 14:04, 11 November 2016

Patriotic Front
LeaderEdgar Lungu (Party President)
Founded2001 (2001)
HeadquartersFarmer House, Cairo Road, Lusaka
IdeologyDemocratic socialism
Political positionRight-wing
International affiliationSocialist International (consultative)
ColoursBlue and white
National Assembly
60 / 158
Pan African Parliament
2 / 5
Website
www.pf.org.zm

The Patriotic Front (PF) is the ruling political party in Zambia. The party was formed by Michael Sata as a breakaway party of the MMD in 2001 after the then-president Frederick Chiluba nominated Levy Mwanawasa as the MMD's presidential candidate for 2001 elections. After several years as an opposition party the PF gained power in the 2011 general elections. The party is a consultative member of Socialist International, having been admitted in February 2013.[1]

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.[2] Angered by this turn of events, Sata quit the MMD and founded the PF.[3] At the same time, notable figures like Christon Tembo, Godfrey Miyanda and Edith Nawakwi formed the Forum for Democracy and Development Party (FDD). 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 for the 2006 general elections, this time finishing second to the 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.

References

<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />

  1. ↑ Decisions of the Council Socialist International
  2. ↑ Presidential term limits in Africa by Daniel Vencovsky AfricaFiles
  3. ↑ Who will be Zambia’s next president? SARDC, September 2008

External links

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