The United Party for National Development (UPND) is a prominent political party in Zambia, founded in December 1998 by Anderson Mazoka, a former executive of the Anglo American Corporation. The party emerged as a significant opposition force following a split from the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD). The UPND positions itself as a centrist party with strong ideological commitments to social and economic liberalism, advocating for policies that support free-market principles, human rights, and democratic governance.
The UPND rose to national prominence under the leadership of Hakainde Hichilema, a businessman who assumed the party's presidency after Mazoka's death in 2006. Under Hichilema's leadership, the party has become the main opposition force in Zambian politics, contesting multiple elections before finally winning the presidency in the 2021 elections. Hichilema's victory marked the UPND's transition from opposition to governance, with the party now playing a crucial role in shaping the country's political and economic landscape.
The party's internal structure includes the National Management Committee (NMC), its chief executive organ, which is elected every five years during the party's General Assembly. The NMC is responsible for electing the National Executive Committee (NEC), which handles day-to-day decision-making within the party.
The UPND is also a member of the Africa Liberal Network,[1] aligning itself with other liberal parties across the continent.
History
The UPND was established in December 1998 and was initially led by Anderson Mazoka, who had left the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) shortly beforehand.[2] Mazoka was the party's presidential candidate for the 2001 general elections, finishing second with 27% of the vote, less than 2% behind the winner Levy Mwanawasa of the MMD. In the National Assembly elections the UPND won 49 seats, becoming the second largest party after the MMD.
In March 2006, the party joined the United Democratic Alliance, formed by the three largest opposition parties to contest that year's general elections. After the death of Mazoka in May 2006, Hakainde Hichilema became party leader, and was the alliance's presidential candidate. However, he finished third behind Mwanawasa and Michael Sata with 25% of the vote. The UDA won only 26 seats in the National Assembly, down from the 74 the three parties had won in 2001.
Hichilema was the UPND candidate for the 2008 presidential by-election, finishing third with 20% of the vote. He finished third again in the 2011 general elections with 18% of the vote, whilst the UPND won 28 seats in the National Assembly, becoming the third-largest party.
Hichilema was selected as the party's candidate for the 2015 presidential by-election. Hichilema become the main opponent to the Patriotic Front (PF) candidate Edgar Lungu after receiving the backing of several MMD MPs. Although Hichilema received 47% of the vote, Lungu was elected with 48%.
In the 2021 general election, after almost 23 years in opposition, the UPND became the largest party in the National Assembly, adding 24 more seats and making a total 82 seats, forming 46.64% of parliament. This is whilst PF lost 21 seats bringing their total to 59, forming 35.30% of parliament and subsequently becoming Zambia's largest opposition party.
On the executive level, the UPND President Hakainde Hichilema was re-elected to the party presidency at the elective General Conference on 14 February 2021 and Mutale Nalumango was appointed as his running-mate on 23 February 2021.[3][4] Also leading to the 2021 general election on 12 August, the UPND formed an alliance in March dubbed the UPND Alliance with several smaller political parties including former PF members and allies such as former finance minister Felix Mutati, lawyer Kelvin Fube Bwalya and engineer Charles Milupi among others.[5] After three months of official campaigns that were briefly suspended first voluntarily upon the death of Zambia's first President Kenneth Kaunda in June, and then on instruction from the electoral authority due to incidents of political violence in the Lusaka, Mpulungu, Nakonde and Namwala districts, Hichilema and Nalumango were elected President-Elect and Vice President-Elect with 2,852,348 votes or 59.02% of the vote.[6][7][8]
Youth representation
The UPND has a youth league, the UPND Youth League. This youth League was formed to mobilise youth concerns. It represents young people from across Zambia. The party has signed a social contract with the youths making it the first political party in Africa to have a youthful agenda.[9]
The National Management Committee (NMC) of the United Party for National Development (UPND) is the party's chief executive organ, responsible for overseeing the party's strategic direction and governance. The NMC is elected every five years during the party’s General Assembly and is responsible for electing the National Executive Committee for day-to-day decision-making.[10][11][12][13]
The NMC includes key leadership positions such as the president, vice president, national chairperson, secretary-general, deputy secretary-general, and national treasurer. These top positions, often referred to as the "Top Leadership," play a pivotal role in guiding the party's policies and activities.[citation needed]
