View source for United Party for National Development

{{Infobox political party
|name                      = United Party for National Development
|logo  = UPND logo.jpeg
|founded                        = 1998
|president                      = [[Hakainde Hichilema]]
|ideology                       = Liberalism,<br>Social liberalism
|position                       = Centre
|international                  = Liberal International<br>(observer)
|affiliation1_title             = Continental affiliation
|affiliation1                   = Africa Liberal Network
|seats1_title = [[National Assembly]]
|seats1 = {{Composition bar|28|150|hex=yellow}}
|colorcode = yellow
|country = Zambia
}}

The '''United Party for National Development''' (UPND) is a liberal political party in [[Zambia]], led by [[Hakainde Hichilema]]. The party is an observer member of Liberal International.<ref>[http://www.liberal-international.org/editorial.asp?ia_id=924 United Party for National Development] Liberal International</ref>

==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.<ref>Tom Lansford (2014) ''Political Handbook of the World 2014'', CQ Press, p1615</ref> Mazoka was the party's presidential candidate for the [[Zambian general election, 2001|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 (Zambia)|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 (Zambia)|United Democratic Alliance]], formed by the three largest opposition parties to contest that year's [[Zambian general election, 2006|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 [[Zambian presidential election, 2008|2008 presidential by-election]], finishing third with 20% of the vote. He finished third again in the [[Zambian general election, 2011|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 [[Zambian presidential election, 2015|2015 presidential by-election]]. Hichilema become the main opponent to the [[Patriotic Front (Zambia)|Patriotic Front]] candidate [[Edgar Lungu]] after receiving the backing of several MMD MPs. Although Hichilema received 47% of the vote, Lungu was elected with 48%.

==Zambian general election, 2016==
{{Main| Zambian general election, 2016}}
The United Party for National Development took part in the 2016 general election for both National Assembly and presidential election. The party took all the sit in [[Southern Province]] of Zambia as the leader and president [[Hakainde Hichilema]] could not beat president elect [[Edgar Lungu]] in the presidential race.
===Reactions===
The United Party for
National Development critisized the [[Electoral Commission of Zambia|electoral commission]] for participating in fraud as they significantly delayed the announcement of the results. Claiming that the slow counting of the votes is unexplained.

[[Electoral Commission of Zambia|Election officials]] denied this, saying the slow publication of the results was because there were five different votes on Thursday - for president, parliament, mayors, local councillors and an amendment to the constitution on changes to the bill of rights.<ref>[http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-37082475 Zambia elections: Opposition UPND alleges fraud], BBC, 15 August 2016</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Zambian political parties}}

[[Category:Political parties in Zambia]]
[[Category:1998 in Zambia]]
[[Category:1998 establishments in Zambia]]
[[Category:Politics of Zambia]]