National Assembly of Zambia

The National Assembly is Zambia's unicameral legislative body. Between 1972 and 1990, Zambia was a one-party state with the United National Independence Party (UNIP) as the sole legal party.[1]

National Assembly
Type
Type
Leadership
Patrick Matibini
since 6 October 2011
Structure
Seats156 (+ Vice President and 9 appointees)
Political groups
Government (89)
  •   Patriotic Front (89)

Opposition (63)

Non-partisan

Elections
First-past-the-post
Last election
11 August 2016
Meeting place
Lusaka
Website
National Assembly of Zambia
Zambia
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The current National Assembly, formed following elections held on 11 August 2016, has a total of 166 members. 156 members are directly elected in single-member constituencies using the simple plurality (or first-past-the-post) system. Nine additional seats are filled through presidential appointment. The Vice President is also granted a seat in the assembly.

Location

At the time of Zambia’s Independence in 1964, Parliament was housed in inadequate and unsuitable premises behind the Government’s Central Offices in Lusaka, commonly known as the Secretariat Area.  It was, therefore, apparent at the time of independence that a more fitting Parliament building should be constructed to meet future expansion and also to provide adequate Members’ sitting and office accommodation.[2]

A site was chosen on the crown of a low hill in Lusaka which dominate the surrounding landscape and which was at one time site of the dwelling place of village Headman Lusaka, after whom the City of Lusaka is now named.[3]

The new National Assembly building was planned so that its external appearance expresses the dignity and power of Government, while internally, it is planned to function as a centre of administration.  The focal point of the building is the Chamber, which is rich in decoration and colour in contrast to the rest of the building.[4]

2016 election results
Main article: Zambian general election, 2016
Party Votes % Seats +/–
Patriotic Front1,537,94642.0180+20
United Party for National Development1,525,04941.6658+30
Movement for Multi-Party Democracy99,3562.713–52
Forum for Democracy and Development79,4892.1710
Rainbow Party34,9060.950New
National Restoration Party10,8870.3000
Alliance for Democracy and Development8,2690.230–1
United Democratic Front7,6430.210New
United National Independence Party7,2530.2000
Golden Progressive Party1,4610.040New
Radical Revolutionary Party8310.020New
Green Party of Zambia4070.010New
United Progressive People3330.010New
Independents347,0059.4814+11
Invalid/blank votes92,044–––
Total3,752,879100156+6
Registered voters/turnout6,698,37256.03––
Source: Electoral Commission of Zambia, Daily Mail

Previous National Assembly election results
Political Party Election Year
1964 1968 1973 1978 1983 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011
United National Independence Party (UNIP) 55 81 125 125 125 25 - 13 -* -
Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) - - - - - 125 131 69 74 55
Patriotic Front (PF) - - - - - - - 1 44 60
United Party for National Development (UPND) - - - - - - - 49 -* 28
Alliance for Democracy and Development - - - - - - - - - 1
Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) - - - - - - - 12 -* 1
United Democratic Alliance (UDA) - - - - - - - - 27* -
United Liberal Party (ULP) - - - - - - - - 2 -
Heritage Party (HP) - - - - - - - 4 - -
National Democratic Focus (NDF) - - - - - - - - 1 -
Zambia Republican Party (ZRP) - - - - - - - 1 - -
African National Congress (ANC) 10 23 - - - - - - - -
National Progressive Party (NPP) 10 - - - - - - - - -
National Party (NP) - - - - - - 5 - - -
Agenda for Zambia (AZ) - - - - - - 2 - - -
Zambia Democratic Congress (ZDC) - - - - - - 2 - - -
Independents - - - - - - 10 1 2 3
Others - 1 11 11 11 - - - - 11
Total 75 105 136 136 136 150 150 150 150 159
*UPND, FDD, and UNIP contested the 2006 election under the UDA alliance[5]

See also

References
  1. Mushingeh, Chiponde (1994). "Unrepresentative 'democracy': One-Party Rule in Zambia, 1973-1990". Transafrican Journal of History. 23: 117–141. ISSN 0251-0391. JSTOR 24520273.
  2. "National Assembly". National Assembly. 2020-05-27. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  3. "National Assembly". National Assembly. 2020-05-27. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  4. "National Assembly of Zambia". National Assembly of Zambia. 2020-05-27. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  5. "Inter-Parliamentary Union". Inter-Parliamentary Union. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
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