Zambia will expand its parliament as part of constitutional changes that opposition groups say could favor the ruling party ahead of elections next year.
President Hakainde Hichilema, who will seek a second term in the election scheduled for August 2026, has said some constituencies should be split into smaller ones because they were too big for effective service delivery. But his critics say Hichilema’s party can boost its share of the vote by dividing areas where it already has strong support. Leaders in other African countries — including Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, and Uganda — have in recent years been accused of using constitutional changes, such as altered term limits, to remain in power.
Zambia, Africa’s second-largest copper producer, is still recovering from an economic crisis. It is restructuring about $13 billion in external debt after becoming the first African nation to default on its borrowing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The IMF last week said the country had reached agreements on most of its debt restructuring and “restored macroeconomic stability.”