M’membe asks LAZ to block third term
By Thandizo Banda
SOCIALIST Party (SP) president Dr Fred M’membe has asked the Law Association of Zambia to convene an urgent meeting to block any attempt to remove the two-term presidential limit from the Constitution.
In a letter dated Monday 2 November 2026 to the LAZ president, Dr M’membe warns that Article 106(3) that bars a person who has twice held office as president from standing again can be removed by the current government without a referendum.
He says it falls under Article 79(2) and can be amended with only gazette publication 30 days before first reading and two-thirds support in Parliament.
Dr M’membe cites the Constitutional Court’s June 2025 judgment on Bill 7 that Article 79 also requires wide public consultation.
He says he is acting because a term limit was removed last year for mayors and council chairpersons, because since September 21, 2026 ruling party supporters have called for President Hakainde Hichilema to remain beyond 2031 because on October 28, 2026 a youth consortium petitioned Parliament through nominated MP Francis Kope to remove presidential term limits and because the President has not ruled out a further term.
Dr M’membe asks LAZ to call an extraordinary general meeting, to state publicly whether presidential tenure should be changed without a referendum, and to reunite the Oasis Forum partners from 2001 – the Catholic Bishops, CCZ, EFZ and NGOCC – to consider a common platform.
“An office this grave should not be reshaped by two thirds of one Parliament without the direct consent of the people,” he writes.
Dr M’membe says LAZ must remain independent and that the Socialist Party will serve in any common platform without seeking to lead it.
