Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema has approved a new law expanding the size of parliament, a move that comes just months before the country heads into a general election. The legislation increases the number of constituencies, effectively adding new seats to the National Assembly as part of a broader electoral reform agenda.
The government says the changes are aimed at improving representation by aligning parliamentary seats more closely with population growth and shifting demographics. Officials said the expansion follows recommendations from the Electoral Commission of Zambia, which has long argued that rapid population increases have left many constituencies overstretched, as reported by Reuters.
However, the timing of the reform has drawn criticism from opposition parties, who argue that altering the structure of parliament so close to an election could favour the ruling party. Opposition leaders have called for greater transparency around the creation of new constituencies, while the government insists the process followed constitutional procedures and was approved by parliament after debate, according to statements carried by Zambia’s state broadcaster ZNBC.
The Electoral Commission has said it is prepared to implement the changes ahead of the polls and that voter registration and boundary adjustments are already underway. Analysts say the expansion could reshape Zambia’s political landscape by increasing competition in newly created constituencies, potentially influencing the balance of power after the election.
