Lusaka, March 26, 2025 – Justice Minister Princess Kasune has laid out a comprehensive roadmap for Zambia’s long-awaited constitutional amendments, signaling a decisive shift towards equity, accountability, and governance efficiency.

Outlined in Parliament today, the reform agenda anchored in the UPND’s 2021-2026 Manifesto seeks to address systemic imbalances in resource allocation, political representation, and electoral processes. The amendments, expected to shape Zambia’s democratic trajectory, will undergo public scrutiny before their finalization on July 25, 2025.

With Parliament leading the charge, the process kicks off immediately, beginning with today’s update, an Electoral Commission report on April 22, drafting from April 23 to May 20, and public consultations from May 21 to June 21. The phased approach aims to ensure broad-based participation, reinforcing transparency and inclusivity.

Among the key reforms proposed are constituency delimitation for fairer CDF distribution, guaranteed parliamentary seats for women, youth, and persons with disabilities, and the elimination of costly by-elections which have drained K264 million since 2021. Other changes include harmonizing MPs’ terms, reintegrating lawmakers into councils, and closing legal loopholes affecting ministerial tenure, petitions, and electoral procedures.

The full official statement follows

Justice Minister Princess Kasune Unveils Constitutional Roadmap for a Fairer and More Equitable Zambia

Lusaka – The Honourable Minister of Justice, Princess Kasune, MP, today announced a roadmap for constitutional amendments, presented to Parliament on behalf of the UPND New Dawn Administration. Rooted in the UPND 2021-2026 Manifesto, these changes prioritize equity and inclusion and have been repeatedly advocated by a cross-section of our people.

We’re tackling long-overdue issues—ensuring resources like the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) reflect constituency size and population, not just uniform allocation, addressing disparities where some areas rival European nations in scale yet receive the same as smaller ones. These changes will ensure women, youth, and differently-abled citizens have a guaranteed voice in Parliament and cut wasteful by-election costs, which have amounted to K264 million since 2021.

Since July 2024, the Electoral Commission of Zambia’s Technical Committee—comprising political parties, churches, academia, youth groups, and eminent persons—has gathered stakeholder views, reinforcing these non-contentious reforms.

The bill will be gazetted for 30 days, giving every Zambian the opportunity to take part and shape these reforms.

Hon. Princess Kasune outlined key changes:

Constituency Delimitation: Amend Articles 58 & 68 to redraw boundaries for equitable CDF distribution by size and population.

Candidate Resignation: Amend Article 52(6) to proceed with elections if a candidate resigns, avoiding fresh nominations.

Enhanced Representation: Amend Articles 47(2) & 68 to guarantee seats for women, youth, and persons with disabilities.

MPs in Councils: Amend Article 153(2) to reintegrate MPs into local councils for development synergy.

Election Petition Clarity: Amend Articles 73(2), 101(5), & 103(2) to determine petitions within 90 or 14 days.

By-Election Reform: Amend Article 57 to end party vacancy by-elections, saving K264 million plus K3.9 million per candidate.

Nominated MPs Increase: Amend Article 68(2)(b) to raise nominated MPs beyond eight, as set by Parliament.

MP Term Harmonization: Amend Articles 81 & 266 to fix Parliament’s term at five full years.

Ministers’ Vacancy: Amend Article 116 to vacate ministerial offices 90 days pre-election to curb misuse.

Mayor Term Limits: Amend Article 154(2)(b) to remove the two-term cap for mayors.

Secretary to Cabinet: Amend Article 176(3) to lower experience from 10 to 5 years for eligibility.

Attorney-General Continuity: Amend Articles 178(1)(b) & 179(4)(b) to retain officials until new appointments.

Child/Adult Definitions: Amend Article 266 to clarify “child” as under 18 and “adult” as 18+.