# Patriotic Front (Zambia)

The Patriotic Front (PF) is a political party in Zambia, founded in 2001 by Michael Sata. It emerged as a breakaway party from the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) after Sata was not selected as the MMD's presidential candidate for the 2001 elections. The PF is primarily supported by the youth and the urban poor, and it gained significant political influence over time.
The party first came to power after winning the 2011 general elections, with Michael Sata winning the presidential election. After Sata's death in 2014, Edgar Lungu became the party's leader and won subsequent presidential elections in 2015 and 2016. However, in the 2021 elections, the PF lost power to the United Party for National Development (UPND) led by Hakainde Hichilema.
The PF is associated with social democracy and has been a member of the Socialist International as a consultative party. Its political position is considered centre-left.

## Formation and history

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 a 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. Angered by this turn of events, Sata quit the MMD and founded the PF. At the same time, notable figures like Christon Tembo, Godfrey Miyanda and Edith Nawakwi formed the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) Party. 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 in the 2006 general elections, this time finishing second to Levy Patrick 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.
In 2016, Edgar Lungu won again as the president with 50.35%, beating Hakainde Hichilema by 100,530 votes or 2.72%.
In the lead up to the 2021 general election, Amnesty International publicly raised concerns about the violation of civil liberties, crackdowns on dissent and police killings while the party held political power.
At the 2021 general election, Edgar Lungu was once again the party's candidate. The PF came out second at that election, getting 1,870,780 votes while Hakainde Hichilema of the UPND got 2,852,348 votes. The PF once again became the largest opposition party, winning 60 of the 156 parliamentary seats.

## Electoral history
### Presidential elections

| Election | Party candidate | Votes | % | Result |
| 2001 | Michael Sata | 59,172 | 3.40% | Lost N |
| 2006 | Michael Sata | 804,748 | 29.37% | Lost N |
| 2008 | Michael Sata | 683,150 | 38.13% | Lost N |
| 2011 | Michael Sata | 1,170,966 | 41.98% | Elected Y |
| 2015 | Edgar Lungu | 807,925 | 48.33% | Elected Y |
| 2016 | Edgar Lungu | 1,860,877 | 50.35% | Elected Y |
| 2021 | Edgar Lungu | 1,870,780 | 38.71% | Lost N |

### National Assembly elections

| Election | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Position | Outcome |
| 2001 | 49,362 | 2.82% | 1 / 159 | 1 | 7th | Opposition |
| 2006 | 622,864 | 22.96% | 43 / 159 | 42 | 2nd | Opposition |
| 2011 | 1,037,108 | 38.42% | 60 / 159 | 17 | 1st | Minority government |
| 2016 | 1,537,946 | 42.01% | 80 / 156 | 20 | 1st | Majority government |
| 2021 | 1,722,718 | 35.70% | 60 / 156 | 20 | 2nd | Opposition |