What they won’t tell him is the hard truth: the economy is so bad that it has severely damaged his chances of being re-elected. The people’s anger is squarely on the President. His Members of Parliament will be collateral damage, because it’s not them the public holds responsible, it’s the President who has failed to address the suffering of ordinary Zambians.

In the midst of this economic crisis, the President is instead prioritizing constitutional amendments designed for his political survival and consolidate power. One proposal seeks to amend Article 68(2)(b) to allow him to nominate more than the current eight Members of Parliament, removing the cap entirely. This means if the opposition wins the majority of elected seats in Parliament, the President could simply nominate enough MPs to outnumber them and regain control.

He also wants to amend Article 47(2) to introduce Proportional Representation, a system where MPs are picked from political party lists rather than elected directly by the people. The biggest danger with this system is that it creates MPs who are loyal not to the people in the constituencies, but to a few powerful individuals sitting in Lusaka. It strips citizens of the power to hold their MPs accountable and hands that power to party bosses.

These changes are not only aimed at tipping the balance in the 2026 elections, but are also rumored to be part of a broader plan to remove the presidential term limit after 2026, paving the way for the current President to seek a third term.

At a time when Zambians are crying out for economic relief, affordable food, stable fuel prices, and a stronger kwacha, the President’s obsession with political survival shows a complete disconnect from the realities facing ordinary citizens.