The Hidden Danger in the 2025 Constitution Bill: Why It Could Undermine Zambia’s Democracy

The Hidden Danger in the 2025 Constitution Bill: Why It Could Undermine Zambia’s Democracy
By Dr. Lawrence Mwelwa

In a democracy, we hold elections so that people in power don’t stay there forever. We call this a term. It helps keep leaders accountable, ensures change, and protects the power of the people.

But the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill, 2025 is introducing a dangerous change. It’s trying to redefine what a “term” means and the new definition could open the door for leaders to stay in office longer than they should.

What’s the Problem?

The bill says a term starts when Parliament first meets after elections and ends only when Parliament is dissolved. At first, this might seem harmless. But here’s the danger:

Under this new definition, there’s no clear time limit. As long as Parliament is not dissolved, a government could argue that their term isn’t over even if five years have passed. This means a President or ruling party could delay elections by simply not ending Parliament. That’s a serious risk to democracy.

Who Has the Power to End Parliament?

The bill also gives the President the power to dissolve Parliament if it’s not working properly. But what does “not working properly” mean? That’s very vague. It could be abused. Even though the court is supposed to make the final decision, in a politically charged environment, we can’t always trust that process to be fair.

So in simple terms: the President could influence when Parliament ends, which could also affect when elections happen. That’s not fair.

What About Replacing Leaders?

The amendment also says that if an MP, mayor, or councillor leaves office within six months of an election, their political party can appoint someone to replace them without holding a by-election.

That might save money, but it takes away the people’s right to choose. Voters don’t get to say who represents them the party decides. That’s undemocratic.

What About Succession?

The amendment doesn’t clearly explain what happens when someone becomes President or MP in the middle of a term. For example, if a President dies and someone else takes over, does that count as a full term? Or can that person still run for two more terms?

This was a big issue in 2021 with former President Edgar Lungu. The courts had to decide if his first short term counted. Without a clear answer in the new law, we could face the same confusion again letting leaders run again and again.

So, What’s at Stake?

This bill may seem technical, but it affects you. It could:

Let leaders stay in office longer than five years.

Allow the President to influence when elections happen.

Take away your right to vote in some situations.

Create confusion that powerful people could use to stay in power.

Final Thoughts

Our constitution should protect us not the powerful. It must be clear, fair, and focused on the people. But this bill creates more confusion than clarity. It gives room for leaders to twist the rules for their benefit.

Let’s not make the same mistake again. Let’s fix the constitution properly with full understanding, public input, and strong protections for democracy.

Let’s not open the door to abuse of power. Let’s protect our right to choose.