IFES Election Guide - Election Profile for Zambia

Election Profile:

Overview

Results

Of Interest/Links

Sources

Country: Zambia
Official Name: Republic of Zambia
Election Type: Legislative
Date: September 28, 2006

Source for election date

At stake in this election:

150 seats in the National Assembly

Description of government structure:

Chief of State: President Levy MWANAWASA *
Head of Government: President Levy MWANAWASA
Assembly: Zambia has a unicameral National Assembly with 150 seats.

* The president is both the chief of state and head of government.

Description of electoral system:

The President is elected by simple majority vote to serve a 5-year term.
In the National Assembly, 150 members are elected by simple majority vote in single-member constituencies to serve 5-year terms and 8 members are appointed by the President to serve 5-year terms.

Main parties in the electoral race:

Party: Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD)
Leader: Levy Patrick MWANAWASA
Seats won in last election: 69
Party: Patriotic Front (PF)
Leader: Michael SATA
Seats won in last election: 1
Alliance: United Democratic Alliance (UDA)***
Leader: Hakainde HICHILEMA
Seats won in last election: 74
Party: National Democratic Focus (NDF)****
Leader: Ben MWILA (ZRP) and Danny PULE (ZADECO)
Seats won in last election: 1
Party: New Generation Party (NGP)
Leader: Humphrey SIULAPWA
Seats won in last election: N/A
Party: United Nationalist Party (UNP)
Leader: Akim NGOSA
Seats won in last election: N/A
Party: New Congress Party (NCP)
Leader: Cosmas MWALE
Seats won in last election: N/A

*** The UDA is formed of the United Party for National Development (UPND) of Anderson Kambela MAZOKA, the United National Independence Party (UNIP) of leader Tilyanji KAUNDA, and the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) of sole female opposition leader Edith NAWAKWI. In the last election, UPND obtained 49 seats, UNIP 13, and FDD 12.
**** The National Democratic Focus (NDF) is formed of the Zambia Republican Party (ZRP) headed by Ben MWILA and the Zambia Democratic Congress (ZADECO). The coalition originally included the Party for Unity, Democracy and Development (PUDD), which withdrew after Ben MWILA decided not to run in the presidential race. The Reform Party (RP) of leader Nevers MUMBA was also among the original members but quit the alliance in July 2006. The ZRP won one seat in the last election.