ECZ’s Delimitation Exercise: Upholding Constitutionalism and Enhancing Representative Democracy
16/04/2026
LUSAKA — The Electoral Commission of Zambia, ECZ, has announced the 2026 constituency delimitation exercise, with 70 new constituencies created ahead of the August 13 General Elections. The new electoral map unveiled today raises the total number of constituencies from 156 to 226.
The exercise, mandated by Articles 58 and 59 of the Constitution of Zambia, requires the Commission to review constituency and ward boundaries every ten years to reflect demographic shifts and ensure equitable representation. By finalising delimitation ahead of this year’s August elections, the ECZ has met its constitutional obligation right before the campaign period of the elections commences.
Consultation and Transparency
From the 16th to 20th February 2026, ECZ held consultative meetings in all provinces engaging political parties, NGOs, traditional leaders, etc. I can confirm that NDC received invitations for these meetings and our Provincial Chairmen and other leaders across the country attended the meetings. As expected, when the ECZ Chairperson Mrs. Mwangala Zaloumis stressed that public input was ‘not symbolic’ I did not believe her as I was very concerned as to why they abandoned the 2019 Delimitation Report and opted to get fresh submissions.
Addressing Representation and Development Gaps
Under the Constitution, delimitation must consider community history and cohesiveness, population density and projections, means of communication, geographical features, and the need for approximate equality of constituency populations while protecting sparsely populated areas. Several existing constituencies span vast, difficult terrain, limiting regular contact between MPs and constituents and hindering service delivery. The creation of smaller, more manageable constituencies is expected to improve parliamentary oversight, Constituency Development Fund monitoring, and the articulation of local priorities in the National Assembly. As they say- Democracy is expensive, but under representation is even more costly.
Countering Misinformation
Throughout the process, the ECZ moved decisively to address public misinformation. In response to claims that constituency seats had been ‘pre-allocated,’ the Commission clarified that no allocations had been made at that time and urged the public to rely on official channels for accurate information. The ECZ also confirmed that delimitation would not affect voters’ polling stations, a critical clarification ahead of the August 13 2026 polls.
Good Foundation for Inclusive Representation
With the new map finalised 4 months before the elections, political parties and aspirants now have clarity to prepare, while voters can engage with prospective representatives on local issues. The exercise complements the reforms that came with Bill 7 aimed at increasing participation of women, youth, and persons with disabilities. More constituencies provide additional platforms for inclusive representation. For some of us that were opposed to Bill 7, I still always made it clear that contents like Proportional Representation and Delimitation were a game changer for the 2026 elections and beyond.
Timely delimitation strengthens public confidence in the electoral process, so even though we would have loved this exercise to have been concluded before the voter registration exercise, we are still happy that it has now been concluded. By balancing legal requirements, technical data, and stakeholder submissions, the ECZ has delivered a process that is both constitutionally sound and administratively credible.
National Duty Discharged
The Electoral Commission of Zambia has executed a complex national exercise with professionalism and adherence to the law. The 70 new constituencies are not merely a technical adjustment; they represent a deliberate effort to deepen democracy, enhance accountability, and bring governance closer to the people.
As the new electoral map is published, the focus now shifts to political actors and citizens to ensure that the 2026 elections are contested peacefully and more inclusively. The Commission has discharged its duty, the aspiring candidates and voters at large now have to look at the new map and enhance or streamline their campaigns according to their new realities.
Issued by;
Saboi Imboela
President- National Democratic Congress- NDC