“Total Confusion” – Mufalali Baffled by PF’s Dedication to Lungu

Government Deputy Chief Whip Likando Mufalali has confessed that he is perplexed by the Patriotic Front’s internal machinations, and questioned the logic of coalescing around the ageing and ineligible former president Edgar Chagwa Lungu.

Mr Mufalali was commenting on last week’s events in which Miles Sampa ended his dispute with Lungu, and fully endorsed him to be the party’s presidential candidate in 2026, thereby ending any speculation of Sampa himself running.

Sampa’s servility smacks of a desperation within the party to appear united as the campaign gets underway. However, it leaves pressing questions about how the PF intends to address Lungu’s ineligibility unanswered; he has already exceeded constitutional limits by running in three presidential elections.

“It’s total confusion”, Mr Mufalali told press, “The whole arrangement is one which is not backed by the law of the land. The highest court of the land, the Constitutional Court, has said that he is not eligible, but they want to cling to him. You wonder what kind of thinking this is”.

Mr Mufalali also criticised the move as undemocratic, saying that it resembled the practices of a traditional authority more than a modern political party. “Our laws our very clear about the leadership of any political party”, he said, “they need to go to a certain convention and choose a leader”.

Just weeks ago, Sampa was claiming that he was legitimately elected by the PF membership and had a mandate to lead the party. With just one statement, he has handed complete control to Lungu, this cannot be democratic.

The political logic of bowing down to Lungu is also not sound, Mr Mufalali contended. “You wonder what confusuion is really reigning in that party because they are so blinded they cannot see into the future”, he said.

Moreover, the PF’s bizarre machinations have an impact on the functioning of Zambian democracy; Mr Mufalali said he is unsure whom the government should recognise as leader of the opposition. Sampa leads the PFs delegation in parliament, but his influence within the party is now severely weakened.