Zambia's controversial bid to amend constitution flops

Zambian President Edgar Lungu.

Photo credit: Dawood Salim | AFP

In Lusaka

Zambia’s controversial constitutional bill failed Thursday in a vote in that country’s parliament following vehement opposition by civil society and other political parties.

The law had it come into effect sought to change the basic structure of the country’s constitution which was amended in 2016.

Bill 10 as it was called, would have extended the executive powers to appoint judges and ministers and allow changes to the electoral map.

The governing party sponsored bill was viewed by the opposition as electioneering as the government would have created several constituencies in their strongholds.

The Law Association of Zambia president Abyud Shonga said before the vote that the sought changes “lacked consensus”.

After the vote, Zambia Justice Minister Given Lubinda  described the collapsed Constitution Amendment Bill Number 10 of 2020 as “a temporary setback.”

Despite the governing party having a majority of numbers in Parliament ,the Bill could not go through Second Reading as Members of Parliament who voted in favour of the bill did not garner the two thirds majority threshold required for a constitutional Bill.

 The MPs who voted in favour of the bill were One Hundred and Five, short of six votes to attain the One Hundred and Eleven - two thirds majority vote.

Zambia is due to vote in a 2021 general election.