Zambia's president signs into law constitutional changes establishing new electoral system

By James Kunda

LUSAKA, Zambia (AA) – Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema on Thursday signed into law constitutional changes establishing a new electoral system as well as a new composition for the nation's parliament.

The bill was passed by the country's parliament on Monday, with more than two-thirds of the house supporting the amendments, which included increasing the number of elected members of the National Assembly from 156 to 226.

A mixed-member proportional representation model would also create new parliamentary seats for 20 women, 15 youth, and five differently-abled people, while large constituencies would be delimited to reduce their size.

Hichilema described the signing ceremony in Lusaka, Zambia's capital, as a historic event that prioritized the welfare of all citizens.

"We are completing a process that belongs not to one, two, a thousand, or one million people, but a process that belongs to each of the more than 20 million citizens of Zambia. It is not for one leader, one political party, or a single church, but for this country we all love called Zambia," Hichilema said.

He urged all citizens to unite and forge the country's future development path, saying the debate over the amendment is now over.

"The debate was intense but meant to bring everyone around the table, but now we must move on, focusing our minds on delivering a better Zambia, which every citizen deserves," he added.

The amendment, which goes into effect eight months before the country's next general election in August 2026, is the first in nearly a decade, as the country's constitution was last amended in 2016.