No amendments, maintain opposition, CSOs
By Tony Nkhoma
OPPOSITION political parties and some civil society organisations have maintained that President Hakainde Hichilema and his administration should not tamper with the current Constitution until after the 2026 general elections.
They have said it is not only illegal but also deeply immoral for Hichilema to manipulate the Constitution, opposition political parties and civil society organisations (CSOs) have said.
The opposition political parties and civil society organisations said in Lusaka yesterday it was scandalous for Hichilema and the United Party for National Development (UPND) to abandon the legislative precedent of the Constitution amendment processes in the country in preference for their own hidden selfish process.
Speaking at a joint press conference, the opposition parties and CSOs strongly rejected any constitutional amendments before the 2026 general elections.
United National Independence Party (UNIP) president Trevor Mwamba said the Constitution belonged to ‘we, the people of Zambia’ and not to ‘I, Hichilema’. He accused Hichilema of trying to create a constitution that would suit his selfish ambitions.
“Given the unfortunate manner in which the issues of constitutional reform have recently been handled by the current administration, we therefore choose to directly exercise the right given to us under Article 5(1) of the Constitution and reject any amendment to the current Constitution before the 2026 election,” Mwamba said.
He urged Zambians to be vigilant with Hichilema’s attempt to sneak his selfish provisions into the Constitution.
“The Constitution review must follow an inclusive, legitimate and transparent process characterised by structured road maps, stakeholder consultations and legitimacy conferred by an Act of Parliament before any amendments are even proposed. Regrettably, the current UPND government has abandoned this precedent,” Mwamba said.
Patriotic Front (PF) vice president Given Lubinda said a deceitful approach by Hichilema and the UPND to constitutional reform was unacceptable.
Lubinda said the magnitude of disjointed statements from senior government officials and their revelations exposed government’s deceitful approach to governance and constitutional reform
“As a result of the whole process being entangled in a web of lies between President Hichilema, his presidential spokesperson Clayson Hamasaka, Minister of Justice Princess Kasune, Foreign Affairs minister Mulambo Haimbe, this shows that even amongst the ranks of the Executive there is confusion and no consensus as to what the status of constitutional reforms is,” he said.
Ernest Mwansa, acting leader of The Zambia We Want Party, said the UPND’s attempt to justify its push for constitutional amendments by citing the need to increase youth, women, and persons with disabilities’ representation in Parliament is misleading.
Mwansa said the current Constitution, under Article 259, already mandated the President to ensure equal representation of those groups in public appointments.
“If the true goal is to enhance the political participation of these marginalised groups, we propose a more effective and immediate alternative,” Mwansa said.
United Kwacha Alliance (UKA) national chairman Sakwiba Sikota urged the UPND to abandon its unconstitutional plans and prioritise real issues affecting Zambians.
Sikota said any amendments to the Constitution should be undertaken through an inclusive and legitimate process, free from political coercion and timed appropriately after the 2026 elections.
“We therefore implore his administration to focus on more urgent matters of greater relevance to the immediate concerns and struggles of our people. In the presence of an escalating debt problem, and if there are sufficient resources to undertake a rushed constitutional process, it is our firm resolve that those resources are better utilised in addressing issues affecting the Zambian people,” Sikota said.
