Opposition Unity Deteriorates as Parties Descend into Chaos Over Leadership Battles

Zambia's fragmented opposition has failed to maintain even basic cooperation, with key alliances disintegrating amid bitter disputes over who should lead the charge against the ruling UPND ahead of the 2026 elections.

Socialist Party leader Dr Fred M'membe has confirmed the complete breakdown of the United Opposition Front, revealing that what was supposed to be a formidable coalition has crumbled into chaos over disagreements about selecting a presidential candidate.

Speaking on Prime TV's Oxygen of Democracy programme Monday, Dr M'membe painted a damning picture of an opposition consumed by personal ambition and unable to agree on even fundamental issues of cooperation.

"That formation has disintegrated, it's no longer there," Dr M'membe stated bluntly about the United Opposition Front, which had brought together his Socialist Party, the Tonse Alliance, UNIP, UKA and other opposition groups. "There were disagreements and those disagreements became nasty."

Personal Ambition Trumps National Interest

The Socialist Party leader's frank assessment exposed the deep dysfunction plaguing opposition ranks, where personal agenda and individual ambition have overridden any pretence of unified purpose.

Dr M'membe acknowledged that the opposition's failure extends even to local level, revealing that parties could not agree on a single candidate for the recent Chawama parliamentary by-election despite holding meetings specifically for that purpose.

"We tried to cooperate to field one candidate, it didn't work out," he admitted, describing how his party eventually compromised by supporting the Tonse Alliance's FDD candidate – but only after other opposition parties refused to honour collective agreements.

'Happenstance Unity' Built on Weak Foundations

In a particularly revealing admission, Dr M'membe conceded that opposition efforts at unity have been nothing more than "happenstance" – temporary arrangements driven by electoral convenience rather than shared principles or vision.

"The unity that we are seeking for the 2026 election is not a strategic unity, it's a happenstance unity," he said. "It's unity to get something done, to get something to happen. It's not strategic alliance which is anchored on very strong principles."

This candid acknowledgment confirms what many political observers have long suspected: that opposition parties are driven primarily by a desire for power rather than any coherent alternative vision for Zambia's future.

Casino Politics

Dr M'membe used a striking gambling metaphor to describe the current state of opposition negotiations, comparing the jockeying for position among opposition leaders to gamblers at a casino, each hoping to win more than they brought to the table.

"Everybody goes to the casino to gamble, this one is coming with K1,000, this one coming with K100, the one who is getting in the casino with a K100 wants to get out of the casino with more than the one who went with K1,000," he said. "To bring that order to political leadership, it becomes a bit more complicated."

The Socialist Party leader revealed that parties formed just yesterday expect equal treatment in alliance negotiations with established parties, creating impossible gridlock over fundamental questions of leadership and candidate selection.

Over a Year of Failed Negotiations

Dr M'membe disclosed that opposition parties have spent more than a year attempting to forge alliances, with nothing to show for their efforts.

"We have been on this path for over a year of trying to get into alliances but it's not easy," he said, acknowledging the seemingly insurmountable barriers to opposition cooperation.

The admission raises serious questions about whether Zambia's opposition parties will be able to present any credible alternative to the UPND government by the time the 2026 elections arrive.

Trust Deficit

At the heart of the opposition's dysfunction, Dr M'membe identified a fundamental trust deficit among opposition leaders.

"To unite it means we have to learn how to negotiate with others, we'll need to learn how to compromise with others, we'll need to learn how to arrive at some consensus with others," he said. "It requires trust and that trust must be built, it doesn't come like that."

However, after more than a year of failed negotiations and broken agreements, that trust appears more elusive than ever.

As the 2026 elections approach, Zambia's opposition remains in disarray – fragmented, feuding, and seemingly incapable of the basic cooperation required to mount an effective challenge to the ruling party. For voters seeking an alternative, the message from the opposition's own leaders is increasingly clear: don't hold your breath.