LAZ Defends Citizens’ Rights, Demands Withdrawal of Constitution Bill No. 7 Over Exclusion
The Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) has demanded that the Government immediately withdraw Constitution Amendment Bill No. 7 of 2025, citing the absence of meaningful stakeholder engagement and public participation as required under constitutional principles.
In a strongly worded statement issued on June 3, 2025, LAZ President Lungisani Zulu expressed concern over the Government’s approach, noting that the Bill—gazetted on May 23, 2025—was introduced without involving citizens or stakeholders in its formulation.
“The Constitution is a people’s document,” the statement reads. “Its formulation and amendment must not exclude the very people it governs.”
LAZ argues that the Government has failed to disclose how the Bill was developed or which groups, if any, provided input. According to LAZ, such secrecy undermines the legitimacy of the proposed reforms and risks weakening Zambia’s democratic framework.
Particular concern was raised over Section 8 of the Bill, which proposes changes to Article 72(8) that would allow political parties to appoint replacements for vacated parliamentary seats. LAZ warned that this would erode accountability, sideline voters, and entrench weak intra-party democracy.
The association also criticized the Bill’s proposed measures to promote the inclusion of women, youth, and persons with disabilities as “wholly inadequate,” noting that they do not reflect the voices of those groups.
Another contentious issue is the proposal to increase the number of elected Members of Parliament to 211. LAZ noted that this is based on a report that has not been made public, making it difficult for citizens to assess the rationale or benefit of such a change.
“Increasing parliamentary seats without transparency or demonstrated benefit diverts scarce national resources from more urgent needs, like decentralization and grassroots development,” the statement added.
LAZ urged the Government to heed calls from the Church, civil society, and traditional leaders, stressing that all constitutional reforms must be grounded in consensus and transparency.
To foster dialogue, LAZ announced plans to convene a public forum to allow citizens to express their views on the proposed Bill.
The statement reaffirms LAZ’s constitutional mandate to promote legal reforms and uphold the rule of law, as stipulated in the Law Association of Zambia Act No. 31.
