National Assembly of Zambia

National Assembly of Zambia
Type
Type	Unicameral
Leadership
Speaker	Nelly Butete Kashumba Mutti, UPND since 3 September 2021
First Deputy Speaker	Malungo Chisangano, UPND since 3 September 2021
Second Deputy Speaker	Moses F. Moyo, Independent since 3 September 2021
Leader of Government Business	Mutale Nalumango, UPND since 3 September 2021
Leader of the Opposition	Robert M. Chabinga, PF since 1 November 2023
Structure
Seats	167
Political groups	Government (95)   UPND (84)   Nominated (8)   Ex-officio (3) Opposition (71) Official Opposition (57)   PF (57) Others (14)   PNUP (1)   Independents (13) Vacant seats (1)   Vacant seat (1)
Elections
Voting system	First-past-the-post and appointments by the President
Last election	12 August 2021
Next election	13 August 2026
Meeting place
Lusaka
Website
National Assembly of Zambia

The National Assembly is Zambia's unicameral legislative body. Between 1972 and 1990, Zambia was a one-party state with the United National Independence Party (UNIP) as the sole legal party.

The current National Assembly, formed following elections held in 2021, has a total of 166 members. 156 members are directly elected in single-member constituencies using the simple plurality (or first-past-the-post) system. Eight additional seats are filled through presidential appointment. The Speaker, first deputy speaker and the Vice President are also granted a seat in the assembly.

Electoral system

Of the 167 members of the National Assembly, 156 are elected by the first-past-the-post system in single-member constituencies, with a further eight appointed by the President and three others being ex-officio members: the Vice President, the Speaker and one deputy speakers (one elected from outside the National Assembly, while another is chosen among the elected members of the house). The minimum voting age is 18, whilst National Assembly candidates must be at least 21.

Location

At the time of Zambia's independence in 1964, the National Assembly was housed in inadequate and unsuitable premises behind the Government's Central Offices in Lusaka, commonly known as the "Secretariat Area". It was, therefore, apparent at the time of independence that a more fitting building should be constructed to meet future expansion and also to provide adequate members’ sitting and office accommodations.

A site was chosen on the crown of a low hill in Lusaka, which dominated the surrounding landscape of the city. The site was also, at one time, the site of the dwelling place of the village headman, Lusaka, after whom the city is now named.

The new National Assembly building was planned so that its external appearance expressed the dignity and power of the Government, while internally, it is planned to function as a centre of administration. The focal point of the building is the Chamber, which is rich in decoration and colour, in contrast to the rest of the building.

2021 election results

Main article: 2021 Zambian general election

Party		Votes	%	Seats	/–
	United Party for National Development	2,230,324	46.22	82	24
	Patriotic Front	1,722,718	35.70	60	–20
	Socialist Party	61,325	1.27	0	New
	Democratic Party	50,886	1.05	0	0
	People's Alliance for Change	20,227	0.42	0	0
	Party of National Unity and Progress	13,178	0.27	1	1
	United National Independence Party	12,742	0.26	0	0
	Forum for Democracy and Development	4,006	0.08	0	–1
	National Democratic Congress	3,807	0.08	0	New
	Movement for Multi-Party Democracy	3,665	0.08	0	–3
	Leadership Movement	3,585	0.07	0	New
	Christian Democratic Party	3,471	0.07	0	New
	New Heritage Party	1,762	0.04	0	0
	Golden Party Zambia	858	0.02	0	New
	National Restoration Party	664	0.01	0	0
	Zambians United for Sustainable Development	554	0.01	0	New
	Green Party of Zambia	499	0.01	0	0
	United Prosperous and Peaceful Zambia	309	0.01	0	New
	Movement for Democratic Change	306	0.01	0	New
	Patriots for Economic Progress	232	0.00	0	New
	Economic Freedom Fighters	104	0.00	0	0
	Independents	690,418	14.31	13	–1
Appointed and ex-officio				11	–
Total		4,825,640	100.00	167	0
Valid votes		4,825,640	97.74
Invalid/blank votes		111,726	2.26
Total votes		4,937,366	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		7,023,499	70.30
Source: ECZ, ECZ, ECZ (Kaumbwe const.)

Previous National Assembly election results

Political Party	Election Year
	1964	1968	1973	1978	1983	1991	1996	2001	2006	2011	2016	2021
United National Independence Party (UNIP)	55	81	125	125	125	25	-	13	-*	-	-	-
Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD)	-	-	-	-	-	125	131	69	74	55	3	-
Patriotic Front (PF)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	44	60	80	59
United Party for National Development (UPND)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	49	-*	28	58	82
Alliance for Democracy and Development	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-
Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	12	-*	1	1	-
United Liberal Party (ULP)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	-	-	-
New Heritage Party (NHP)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	4	-	-	-	-
Zambia Republican Party (ZRP)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-
National Party (NP)	-	-	-	-	-	-	5	-	-	-	-	-
Zambia Democratic Congress (ZDC)	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	-	-	-	-	-
Party of National Unity and Progress (PNUP)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
United Democratic Alliance (UDA)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	27*	-	-	-
National Democratic Focus (NDF)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-
Zambian African National Congress (ZANC)	10	23	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
National Progressive Party (NPP)	10	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Agenda for Zambia (AZ)	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	-	-	-	-	-
Independents	-	-	-	-	-	-	10	1	2	3	14	13
Others	-	1	11	11	11	-	-	-	-	11	-	-
Total	75	105	136	136	136	150	150	150	150	159	156	167
*UPND, FDD, and UNIP contested the 2006 election under the UDA alliance Italics denote defunct parties and alliances

See also

• History of Zambia
• Politics of Zambia
• List of Zambian parliamentary constituencies
• List of legislatures by country
• List of speakers of the National Assembly of Zambia
• Legislative branch
• Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ)
• The Constitution of Zambia

References

• National Assembly of Zambia

External links

• Official website