ABSENT MPs ABANDONED ZAMBIANS AT THE ALTAR OF DEMOCRACY
David T. Zyambo | 16 December 2025
On Monday, December 15, 2025, history was made in the National Assembly. This was no chronicle of triumph; it was a record of profound democratic failure. With the adoption of the Constitution of Zambia Amendment Bill No. 7 of 2025, the very architecture of our nation was fundamentally altered. While 135 voices affirmed these controversial changes, a deeper and more agonizing betrayal lies in the silence that followed.
It is the betrayal of the empty seat.
On a day that cemented amendments threatening to centralize power and force taxpayers to fund a bloated Parliament, the record must be clear: those who chose to be absent are, in the moral calculus of democracy, just as culpable as those who voted “Yes.” In the court of public opinion, every vacant seat represents a Member of Parliament who failed the basic reason for their existence—representation.
When the foundation of a republic is being redefined, an MP’s presence is not a choice—it is a sacred duty. The social contract between the voter and the politician demands that, regardless of the certainty of defeat, the representative must stand, speak, and be counted. The Zambian people did not elect ghosts; they elected advocates, fighters, and custodians of the national interest.
To the opposition MPs who were conspicuously absent: whether you label your departure a “boycott” or a “protest,” it was not a brave act of resistance. It was an act of political cowardice. You were not sent to the National Assembly to retreat when the heat intensified; you were sent to document dissent and ensure that every point of disagreement was etched into the official record. By withdrawing, you did not protest the system—you surrendered your mandate to it.
This failure is even more damning when one considers that a majority of the Opposition actually voted with the government. For those absent MPs who claim to be the true leaders and influencers of the Opposition in parliament, this was your moment to lead. Had you been in the Chamber, you could have appealed to the conscience of your colleagues and rallied a unified front. Instead, by absconding, you left the door wide open for fragmentation and gave your peers no alternative but to follow the majority’s path.
This dereliction of duty carries three devastating consequences that have effectively rewritten the narrative of our democracy:
* The Erasure of Dissent: By staying away, you allowed the parliamentary record to appear deceptively unified. With 135 votes in favor and only two “No” votes, history will reflect a lopsided consensus rather than a hard-fought debate. You effectively legitimized the passage of a deeply controversial bill that you claimed to oppose, turning a contested moment into an unchallenged victory for the majority.
* The Abandonment of the Constituents: The thousands of citizens—the farmers, teachers, and traders who elected you to guard against executive overreach—were left entirely undefended. In the hour they required a shield, they found only an empty chamber. You did not just fail to win the vote; you failed to show up for the very people who gave you a voice, leaving them voiceless at the most critical moment in our democratic history.
* The Gift of a Free Pass: You made the majority’s job effortless. By removing yourselves from the Chamber, you eliminated the need for robust floor debate, suppressed public scrutiny, and cleared every obstacle toward the constitutional threshold required for passage. You did not block the way; you paved the road. In your attempt to “boycott” the process, you became its greatest enabler, gifting the government a path of least resistance to rewrite our national soul.
An MP is not a mere observer in a political drama; they are an agent of the people. To sit out the match when the soul of the nation is on the line is an unforgivable forfeit.
The cost of this silence must be paid—not merely in the currency of public scorn, but at the ballot box. Whether these individuals seek reelection as Members of Parliament or aspire to the Presidency, they have disqualified themselves from the mantle of leadership. The Zambian people will remember who stood their ground and who retreated to the shadows. In the final tally, these absent members did more than just lose a vote; they surrendered the right to ever claim they fought for us.