PEP Willing To Return To Opposition Alliance

The president of the Patriots for Economic Progress (PEP) party, Sean Tembo, has said he is willing to return to the Opposition Alliance, provided substantial plans are drawn up for power sharing. 

Mr Tembo, who was the spokesperson for the alliance before his party disaffiliated almost two years ago, said that despite leaving his party still believed in the alliance project.

He said he would be willing to work together again, provided there was clarity on how opposition parties would share power.

“One of the main reasons why we left the alliance was because no one in there was willing to commit to what is on offer to alliance members in terms of sharing of parliamentary and local government seats in 2021,” Tembo said.

“If someone can clarify that part to us and we are happy with the number of MPs and councillors that we can field under the alliance umbrella, then of course we would not hesitate to go back to the Alliance.”

He added that the PEP strongly believes in the alliance project, and has continued to maintain “very good relations” with its leaders. 

He clarified that the party was not interested in potential government positions, rather that it wanted to see parliamentary and local government seats shared proportionally.

“That is because we are more interested in growing our party than to have any immediate gratification, for now,” he said. 

In February this year the Opposition Alliance announced that it would be fielding UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema as its candidate for the presidency. 

Mr Tembo concluded his remarks by denouncing the PF government as incompetent and observed that Zambians were suffering because the government had failed to heed opposition advice on matters such as debt repayments.