In July, following three days of riots in Lusaka, Kaunda announced a referendum on the single-party system would be held in October.

This was not enough to prevent disgruntled army officer Mwamba Luchembe from launching a coup attempt within a few hours of the announcement.

[4] Kaunda had vehemently opposed a multiparty system, claiming it would cause violence and inflame tribal divisions.

However, in response to demands from the opposition, he cancelled the referendum in September and instead gave his support to constitutional amendments that would end UNIP's monopoly on power.

Soon afterward, the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy, a pressure group created earlier in the year under the leadership of Zambia Congress of Trade Unions chairman Chiluba, registered as a political party.