THE UPND government has continued to push for constitutional amendments ahead of the 2026 general elections. One of the main justifications given is the need to create new constituencies from the highly populated existing ones. The claim is that this exercise will improve service delivery by increasing the number of parliamentary representatives. While this argument may appear reasonable at first glance, a closer examination raises serious concerns about government’s true intentions. A key question that must be asked is: How necessary is the creation of new constituencies, and is this the only viable solution to the challenges faced by MPs in larger constituencies? Moreover, does the delimitation exercise require a constitutional amendment at all? A thorough review of the Zambian...
