NATIONAL Democratic Congress (NDC) leader Saboi Imboela says opposition political alliances are better off without the Patriotic Front (PF), accusing the party of displaying an attitude of superiority and disrespect that has strained coalition partnerships.
Imboela described the recent expulsion of the PF from the Tonse Alliance as sad but expected.
Speaking in an interview with the mdia, Imboela said that from the beginning, the PF had been disrespectful to alliance partnerships, not only within the Tonse Alliance but also in the United Kwacha Alliance (UKA).
She explained that political alliances are formed because no single party is strong enough to govern alone, and that successful coalitions depend on combining the strengths of all members, regardless of their size.
“Even if a party has a million members, it still needs smaller parties to reach the numbers required to win,” she said.
Imboela accused the PF of entering alliances with the mindset of being the largest opposition party and the immediate past ruling party, an attitude she said leads them to believe they should control everything.
She said this includes deciding who becomes the next leader, determining candidates for constituencies, and making major decisions, which undermines collaboration within alliances.
“An alliance works when parties look at each other’s strengths, not weaknesses. But the PF has often focused on others’ weaknesses while highlighting its own power,” Imboela said.
She added that opposition parties, both big and small, have been running their organisations successfully for years, and that alliances require mutual respect to succeed.
Imboela also noted that some smaller parties, despite lacking large national membership, have strong grassroots structures and provide crucial support during elections.
“When you disrespect partners, you push them away,” she said.
She further stated that the PF needs to change its approach if it is to participate successfully in future alliances, warning that repeating the same conduct experienced in UKA and Tonse would yield the same results.
