ECZ Says Two Parties Qualify for Proportional Seats

The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has officially announced that only two political parties meet the strict threshold to qualify for the allocation of proportional representation seats in the National Assembly and across all 116 local authorities. Speaking in Lusaka, ECZ Chief Electoral Officer Brown Kasaro stated that the determination is directly derived from the presidential election results declared on August 18, 2026, following the general elections under the newly introduced electoral framework. Mr. Kasaro explained that the Commission is currently operating within the mandatory seven-day window following the inauguration of President Hakainde Hichilema to distribute the proportional representation seats. Under the provisions of the Electoral Process Amendment Act, the allocation formula relies on the cumulative valid votes secured by political-party-sponsored presidential candidates. Out of the candidates who contested the recent election, only those backed by recognized political parties whose candidates met specific vote shares are eligible to partake in the seat distribution. Clarifying the subsequent stages of the process, the ECZ noted that candidate lists have not yet been submitted since the seat calculation phase remains ongoing. Once the Commission finalizes the mathematical distribution based on the national vote tally, official communication will be dispatched to the qualifying political parties. These entities will then be granted a strict seven-day window to submit independent candidate lists explicitly tailored to include designated slots for women, youths, and persons with disabilities, honoring the inclusivity mandates built into the legal reforms. This mixed-member proportional system represents a monumental shift in Zambia's legislative architecture, introduced via recent constitutional and electoral amendments to broaden democratic representation. While first-past-the-post constituency seats make up the bulk of the legislature, the