Zambia: Lungu’s Death and the Perils of a Weak Opposition in Zambia

Without the former president to unite a fragmented opposition ahead of the 2026 elections, multiparty democracy will be the loser.

The death of Zambia’s former president on 5 June will be pivotal for the country’s multiparty democracy. Edgar Lungu was a polarising figure for the country, but one that unified the opposition Patriotic Front (PF). He was in power from 2015 to 2021, when he lost the election to President Hakainde Hichilema’s United Party for National Development (UPND).

Lungu’s…