Republic of Zambia: Referendum, 11 August 2016

At stake in this election:

• This referendum will determine if changes to the constitution will be made.

Note on the results: Voter turnout for the referendum did not meet the required 50% of registered voters to validate the results. 

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Edgar LUNGU (since 25 January 2015)
• Head of Government: President Edgar LUNGU (since 25 January 2015)
• Assembly: Zambia has a unicameral National Assembly composed of 158 seats with members serving 5-year terms.

Electoral requirements:

• To be valid, the referendum requires at least 50% turnout among those eligible to be registered as voters in presidential and parliamentary elections. To be accepted, a majority vote in favor is required.

About the referendum:

• This referendum will decide on the inclusion of the Bill of Rights in the constitution. It will also determine if Article 79, under which only the Bill of Rights and the Article itself require a referendum to allow for amendments to be made, will be repealed. If repealed, it will be replaced with new articles specifying rules for further alteration of the constitution.

Main provisions in the referendum

• “Do you agree to the amendment to the Constitution to enhance the Bill of Rights contained in Part III of the Constitution of Zambia and to repeal and replace Article 79 of the Constitution of Zambia?”

Population and number of registered voters:

·         Population: 15,066,266 (July 2015 est.)

·         Registered Voters: 5,166,088 (2015)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 7,537,952 (July 2015 est.)

·         Is Zambia a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (17 July 1980)

·         Has Zambia ratified CEDAW: Yes (21 June 1985)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: N/A

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 20 (12.66%)

·         Human Development Index Position: 139

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Very High

Disability Data:

·         Is Zambia a signatory to CRPD: Yes (9 May 2008)

·         Has Zambia ratified CRPD: Yes (1 February 2010)

·         Population with a disability: 2,259,940