CIVICUS discusses recent constitutional changes in Zambia with Gideon Musonda, Executive Director of the Advocates for Democratic Governance Foundation, a Zambian civil society organisation.
On 15 December, Zambia’s parliament passed Constitution Amendment Bill No. 7, increasing the number of lawmakers and altering electoral rules just months before the 2026 election. The government revived the bill in November despite strong civil society opposition and a Constitutional Court ruling that deemed an earlier attempt to pass it unconstitutional due to inadequate consultation. The government rushed through an almost identical version, sidelining the court’s concerns and limiting space for public dissent.
