The UPND has secured several parliamentary and local government positions unopposed ahead of the August 13 general election, handing the ruling party early momentum before campaigns fully intensify across the country.
Among parliamentary candidates who have gone through unopposed are Trevor Mwiinde for Choma South, Edgar Siakachoma for Kalomo South, Vumango Musumali for Zambezi West, Clement Andeleki for Kazungula North, Siakole Nchimunya for Sinazongwe and Jack Mwiimbu for Monze Constituency.
The candidates will automatically enter the next National Assembly after no challengers successfully filed nomination papers before the Electoral Commission of Zambia closed nominations.
The ruling party has also recorded several unopposed victories at council and ward level, including five councillors in Lufwanyama District.
UPND supporters celebrated the development as evidence of the party’s entrenched support base in several constituencies, particularly in parts of Southern Province and North-Western Province where the party has maintained strong electoral performances over multiple election cycles.
Still, the growing number of unopposed seats has reopened wider political questions around the state of opposition parties heading into the election.
Within political circles, some opposition supporters said the Patriotic Front and other opposition formations entered the nomination period weakened by internal divisions, court battles and organisational disruptions that affected their ability to field candidates consistently across the country.
Others pointed to recent developments involving opposition parties as signs of a political environment many opposition figures consider increasingly difficult to operate in.
One of the most discussed cases involved Patriots for Economic Progress leader Sean Tembo, who said his party failed to participate after unknown individuals allegedly altered Registrar of Societies records and changed the party into a “church organisation.”
The allegations were not formally confirmed by electoral authorities but quickly became one of the major opposition complaints surrounding nominations.
Some opposition supporters also privately linked the unopposed seats to what they described as fear of investing heavily in constituencies historically dominated by the UPND, particularly in areas where rival parties have repeatedly struggled to gain meaningful electoral ground.
No electoral authority has formally stated that opposition parties were blocked from contesting in the constituencies where UPND candidates went unopposed.
At the same time, ruling party supporters insist the victories should not automatically be interpreted through the lens of intimidation or opposition weakness alone, saying some constituencies have remained firmly loyal to the UPND for many years regardless of the candidates fielded by rival parties.
Constituencies such as Monze, Choma South and Kalomo South have consistently delivered strong support to the UPND over several election cycles, making them among the party’s most dependable political strongholds nationally.
The unopposed victories now hand the ruling party an early political advantage before nationwide campaigns move into full swing.
HOW SAD FOR ZAMBIA that victories come from apathy and an opposition devided by self interests and greed !!!
No way can it be lauded as a popular vote
Great KK used to go unopposed
KK has a frog to run against; that keeps democracy going.
Sel sain.
But the reporters owe it to their readers to approach the opposition parties to find out why they are not filing candidates. You just don’t report that this seat is unopposed. You find out why. Otherwise you are endorsing a fixed ballot.
Badala……….
You can’t blame the opposition if the bar has been set too high, way beyond them………..
It will be a massive whitewash,…………
The people of Zambia will have their say , not the tarven PF remnant’s you listen to………..
We are here
FWD2041
When we said the opposition was just wasting their time, people called us malicious. Now look—before we even vote, we already have certified MPs, chairpersons, and councilors. Let us wait for the big one. I personally reminded the opposition that the UPND stronghold remains intact, but they claimed I was being delusional. Fine. Without the opposition winning 95% of Lusaka, Copperbelt, Luapula, Eastern, Muchinga, and Northern provinces, it is already game over. Forget it, the win goes to UPND, and I foresee this continuing until 2046. Just look at how balanced our party is; no region is left unrepresented. Compare this to the opposition parties—not even their running mates come from a UPND stronghold. With zero representation there, how do they expect to win an election?
But it is normal for UPND to scoop in those provinces, absolutely nothing strange here. Don’t even blame the opposition
Theo, you point out the tribalness of this ruling party. How do emancipated Zambians free themselves from such primitivity? It could destroy our nation. How do we fight tribes intent on taking us to Biafra?
Delimitation at work!
Grewat kk you mad
After highjacking other parties. Turning opposition parties into church organizations and giving other parties to UPND surrogates and you even celebrate that, shameful. Gutter democracy at play.
did you really put the us dollar behind as texas by the way texas we have grabed all the zambian copper mines except for the ones owned by the chinese
Bill 7 doing what it was meant to do. Create new constituencies where rejects can go thru. All at taxpayers expense.
I think this should be stopped. All new constituencies especially must be contested. Otherwise we are being duped
Zambian Pipo are cleverer than you think………
Even the opposition saw no point in campaigning………..it’s a done deal
The populace is content, state craft by HEHH is on point………
To keep getting paid as opposition………
They have to try in 2041
We are here
FWD2041
Yeah how do you expect the opposition to find a candidate against a tribally dominated party in its homeland?
In the interests of democracy Zambia should have a law that every constituency has to be contested. If not, it becomes vacant until an opposing candidate is presented.
The pipo of those areas , by voting for the UPND show they are very intelligent, not tribal ………
Only foooools would even consider voting to time wasters in the name of democracy………..
Why ? When the country is on safe cruise control…..
We are here
FWD2041
Some comments are better left without a response. There are always a number of reasons for a candidate to go unopposed.
Perhaps the questions we should be asking are, why were these candidates go unopposed? What was happening on the ground? Were opponents threatened or there was no suitable opposition candidates?
Tell us the full story please.
The masses are content with the level of statecraft being practiced by HH and the UPND………
Some don’t even see a reason for elections , is how content they are………..even the opposition can see that there is no door for them……..
FWD2041
my corinthians 1 and 2 terminal buildings are aimed at texas
CLEARLY NO WIND OF CHANGE
Cleclearly all those seats are in southern province…..that’s expected
Iza Southern province party?????