The Electoral Commission of Zambia has officially announced the creation of 70 new constituencies, with Eastern Province and Southern Province receiving the highest allocation of nine constituencies each.
According to the Commission, Central Province and Copperbelt Province have each been allocated eight new constituencies, while North-Western Province and Western Province have received seven each.
Meanwhile, Lusaka Province, Muchinga Province and Northern Province have each been allocated six constituencies, with Luapula Province receiving the least at five.
Announcing the development, ECZ Chairperson Mwangala Zaloumis said the delimitation process involved balancing public expectations with constitutional requirements.
“Today’s outcome may not meet every expectation. That is understandable. Delimitation is never an exercise in satisfying every demand, especially given that we only have an additional 70 constituencies against a total of 116 districts countrywide,” she said.
Zaloumis explained that the Commission had to consider various factors, including population density, geographical size, and accessibility challenges in different parts of the country.
“Some areas are large and remote, others densely populated, and some difficult to access. Equality must be balanced with practicality,” she said.
She added that the creation of new constituencies is aimed at strengthening democratic representation as the country prepares for future elections.
“The Commission had to weigh all these realities carefully. As we announce these 70 new constituencies, let us remember that democracy is strongest when representation grows with the people, when institutions work within the law, and when national decisions are explained honestly and accepted peacefully,” she said.
Tanzania here we come