The Electoral Commission of Zambia has commenced provincial delimitation sittings for the 2026 constituency delimitation process following the successful conclusion of district-level consultations across the country.
The sittings, which began in Choma in Southern Province, mark the next phase of consultations aimed at guiding the creation of 70 additional constituencies.
Speaking during the Southern Province sittings, Commission Chairperson Mwaangala Zaloumis reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to a transparent, timely and constitutionally grounded process.
Ms. Zaloumis said the Commission had from February 16 to 24, 2026 conducted district consultations in all 116 districts, bringing together key stakeholders and consolidating submissions for consideration.
She explained that the consultations focused on issues such as access to polling stations, identification of remote areas and other logistical concerns affecting effective representation.
“Consultations have been done from the lower levels, the grassroots, and the Commission communicated its roadmap, guiding principles and timelines clearly,” she said.
She explained that the commission had now reached the Provincial sittings stage where district consolidated reports will be received.
Ms. Zaloumis noted with concern circulating misinformation suggesting that 30 of the proposed 70 additional constituencies had already been allocated to Southern Province.
“No allocations have been made yet as the consultative processes are still ongoing and any suggestions that certain numbers have been allocated are misleading,” she said.
She urged the public to use ECZ official channels of communication to obtain reliable information to avoid being misguided.
She added that Southern Province was the first to submit consolidated reports from its 15 districts, which will now be formally received and analysed as part of the provincial sittings that are yet to be conducted in the other 9 provinces.
“The allocation of the 70 additional constituencies will only be determined after the provincial sittings across the country are concluded and the process will be fair, logical, transparent and reflective of social and geographical realities,” she said.
The commission will hold its provincial sittings for a day in each of the provincial centres country wide.
