U.S Ambassador Michael Gonzales warns UPND will scrap two-term limits if it wins the general election

Outgoing U.S Ambassador to Zambia Michael Gonzales has said the UPND’s proposed amendments to the Republican Constitution next year will likely be a guise for resetting Presidential term limits.

After forcibly altering the Republican constitution last December via a collusion between Speaker Nelly Mutti and the Executive which went against the Constitutional Court ruling which annulled the process, Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha has revealed that the UPND regime plans to change the Republican Constitution again, with the process set to start next year.

According to Kabesha, the ‘comprehensive’ constitutional reforms slated for 2027 would result in total repeal of the current Republican Constitution in order to close existing legal gaps that continue to hamper national development.

According to the current Zambian Constitution, a president can only serve for two-term limits of five years each. This effectively means that in an event that President Hichilema wins this August general election, he will serve his last and final presidential term until 2031.

But recently, Cosmas Chileshe, a senior member of the UPND media team revealed that the ruling party is desirous to amend the Republican Constitution to scrap the two-term limit, a decision that will allow President Hichilema stand for a third term in 2031 if he wins this August’s presidential election and also context future elections.

Speaking during his farewell reception last night, the outgoing U.S Ambassador to Zambia says the UPND regime has demonstrated a history of ignoring court ruling to ensure it achieves what it wants in Parliament.

Ambassador Gonzalez observed that despite the Constitutional Court ruling, the UPND regime proceeded with the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill Number 7 of 2025 which President Hichilema signed into law on December 15, 2025.

“When Parliament ignores the Constitutional Court’s ruling that the process used to ram through a constitutional amendment was itself unconstitutional, investors rightly ask; “If they can do that to the constitution, what does that mean for the sanctity of my contract?” They rightly wonder if the next constitutional amendment, the one that the Attorney General has already announced, is going to happen; is that really just a guise for resetting term limits,” said Ambassador Gonzalez.