United Party for National Development | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | UPND |
| President | Hakainde Hichilema |
| Chairperson | Collins Maoma |
| Secretary-General | Batuke Imenda |
| Governing body | National Management Committee |
| Spokesperson | Cornelius Mweetwa |
| Vice President | Mutale Nalumango |
| Deputy Secretary-General | Getrude Imenda |
| National Treasurer | Watson Lumba |
| Founder | Anderson Mazoka |
| Founded | December 1998 |
| Split from | MMD |
| Youth wing | UPND Youth League |
| Membership (2024) |  620,000 |
| Ideology | Liberalism Social democracy |
| Political position | Centre-left |
| National affiliation | UPND Alliance |
| Continental affiliation | Africa Liberal Network |
| Colours | Red Yellow |
| Slogan | Zambia Forward |
| National Assembly | 84 / 156 |
| Pan-African Parliament | 2 / 5 (Zambian seats) |
| Website | |
| upndzambia.org | |
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.
- ^ "ALN Member Parties". Africa Liberal Network.