Initially part of the National Alliance for Democracy (AND), a coalition of left-wing parties that supported Pascal Lissouba, the RDPS soon broke with the AND and joined the Union for Democratic Renewal (URD) opposition coalition, led by Bernard Kolélas. Together with the Union for the Republic (UR) and the Movement for Democracy and Salvation (MDS), the RDPS formed an alliance, the Movement for Unity and Reconstruction (MUR), in November 1996. A few days after rebels loyal to Denis Sassou Nguesso captured Brazzaville, the capital, at the end of the civil war in October 1997, Tchicaya announced the support of the RDPS for Sassou Nguesso.