Africa-Press – Zambia. The UPND government’s Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill, 2025 is a masterclass in political deception. Under the pretence of promoting inclusivity, the ruling party has crafted a constitutional amendment that offers women, youths, and persons with disabilities nothing more than crumbs while quietly expanding its own power. This is not reform; it is tokenism dressed up as progress, and it exposes the UPND’s hypocrisy in stark disbelief, no one thought they would sink this low.
The Bill’s most touted feature is its introduction of a mixed-member proportional representation system, supposedly designed to ensure fair representation for marginalized groups (women, youth and people with disabilities). But the numbers betray the UPND government’s fake assurance on inclusion, because this is a smokescreen. Lets look at the proposed inclusion by figures;
1. Women: A paltry 20 seats (just 8% of Parliament) are allocated under proportional representation. This is an insult to Zambian women, who make up more than half the population and have long demanded at least 50% representation. Instead, the UPND offers a fraction of that, ensuring women remain on the political periphery.
2. Youths: The Bill reserves a meager 12 seats for youths, which is less than 5% of Parliament. This is not inclusion fellow citizens; it is a cynical attempt to pacify a demographic the UPND fears but refuses to genuinely include.
3. Persons with disabilities: The most glaring insult is the allocation of just 3 seats, barely 1% of Parliament for persons with disabilities. This is not inclusion; it is charity, a performative gesture designed to tick a box rather than dismantle systemic exclusion.
Meanwhile, the Bill expands constituency-based seats from 156 to 211, a move that overwhelmingly benefits entrenched political elites, most of them men while relegating marginalized groups to a symbolic afterthought. This is not an accident; it is a deliberate strategy to maintain the status quo while pretending otherwise. There is nothing for the women, youth in people with disabilities in this proposed constitutional amendment.
This is the same UPND that campaigned on promises of a “new dawn” and greater inclusion. President Hakainde Hichilema once posed as a champion of diversity, yet his government’s constitutional amendments reveal a shocking indifference to real representation. Where is the boldness seen in Namibia, where 46% of parliamentary seats are held by women? Where is the ambition of Senegal, where 42% of local council seats are reserved for women? Instead, the women, youth and people with disabilities get scrap and the UPND expects applause.
Worse still, the Bill does nothing to address the structural barriers that keep marginalized groups out of politics. There are no provisions for campaign financing support, no quotas for party candidate lists, and no safeguards against discrimination in elections. This is inclusion in name but only a hollow gesture meant to shield the UPND from criticism while changing nothing. This is tantamount to tokenism for women, youth and people with disabilities.
Tokenism is a well-worn tactic of authoritarian regimes. In Uganda, Yoweri Museveni’s government touts gender parity in rhetoric while maintaining a male-dominated Parliament. In Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ZANU-PF celebrates “youth empowerment” while systematically excluding young voices from decision-making. The UPND is following the same script, using the language of progress to mask its refusal to share power.
Zambians must reject this charade of a constitutional amendment. If the UPND truly believed in inclusion, it would have proposed for at least 50% representation for women in line with regional best practices. reserve meaningful seats for youths and persons with disabilities, not token numbers and remove barriers to entry, such as unfair nomination fees and party gatekeeping.
Instead, the UPND government is offering a constitutional amendment that consolidates power for the few while throwing symbolic bones to the many. Zambians especially women, youths, and persons with disabilities. We must see this deception for what it is and demand better.
The UPND’s “new dawn” is now a dawn of empty promises. We call on all MP,s to reject this proposed constitutional amendment as it is a threat to democracy.
For More News And Analysis About Zambia Follow Africa-Press
