Africa-Press – Zambia. As amended, Article 68 of the Constitution (once the President Assents) will provide for a more inclusive, balanced, and democratically grounded National Assembly.
1. Overall Composition of the National Assembly
Article 68 establishes that the National Assembly shall consist of:
(a) 226 Members of Parliament elected from constituencies through direct elections;
(b) 40 Members of Parliament elected under proportional representation (PR), broken down as:
(i) 20 women,
(ii) 15 youths, and
(iii) 5 persons with disabilities (PWDs);
(iv) Not more than 11 nominated Members of Parliament;
(v) The Vice-President;
(vi) The Speaker; and
(vii) The First and Second Deputy Speakers.
2. How the 40 Proportional Representation MPs Are Selected
The 40 PR MPs are not appointed by the President, nor are they elected through constituency ballots. They are elected indirectly through proportional representation, based on national election results.
Step-by-step process:
1. Submission of Party Lists
Before the general election, each political party submits to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ):
(a) A ranked list of candidates for women, youth, and persons with disabilities;
(b) These lists must comply with constitutional and statutory requirements.
2. National Vote Determines Allocation
During the general election, voters cast ballots for political parties (through constituency votes).
ECZ then calculates each party’s percentage share of the national vote.
3. Allocation of PR Seats
The 40 PR seats are allocated to parties in proportion to their national vote share.
A party that secures a higher percentage of votes nationally receives more PR seats.
4. Selection from Party Lists
Once the number of seats per party is determined, ECZ fills those seats from the party’s submitted lists, starting from the top, while observing:
(i) 20 women,
(ii) 15 youths,
(iii) 5 persons with disabilities.
In short: voters do not vote for PR candidates by name; they vote for parties, and seats follow the votes.
3. Article 68(2): Limitation on Nominated Members of Parliament
Article 68(2) introduces a constitutional ceiling on nominated MPs:
(a) Nominated MPs must not exceed five percent of constituency-based MPs.
(b) With 226 elected constituency MPs, the maximum number of nominated MPs is 11.
Why this matters:
(a) It restrains executive discretion in appointing MPs;
(b) It preserves the dominance of elected representation in Parliament;
(c) It ensures that inclusivity is achieved primarily through proportional representation, not presidential nomination.
4. Constitutional Balance Achieved by Article 68
Taken together, Article 68:
(a) Expands Parliament to better reflect women, youth, and persons with disabilities;
(b) Ensures that 40 PR MPs are elected through a transparent, vote-based system, not appointed;
(c) Constitutionally limits nominated MPs, protecting legislative independence and democratic legitimacy.
Bottom Line
(a) 226 MPs directly elected by constituencies
(b) 40 MPs elected indirectly through proportional representation based on national votes
(c) Up to 11 MPs nominated by the President, strictly capped by Article 68(2)
This framework strengthens inclusion while tightening constitutional controls over executive influence.
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