The Constitutional Court has dismissed, for lack of merit, a petition seeking to halt the Electoral Commission of Zambia’s ongoing constituency delimitation exercise.
People’s Action for the Country’s Transformation Chairperson Peter Sinkamba challenged the delimitation exercise, stating that it was being held haphazardly and in breach of the Constitution.
Constitutional Court Judge Kenneth Mulife, representing a panel of seven judges, told the court that the petition was denied as it was prematurely before it.
On whether ECZ’s ongoing delimitation exercise should precede the voter registration exercise, the court found that there is no legal basis prescribing the sequencing of what should precede the other; although complementary, they can run independently.
Further, on the argument that Article 13 of the amended Constitution of 2025, by repealing the 156 to increase to 226, abolished the existing constituencies, the court contended that the argument is misconceived, as the article does not abolish but provides for an increase. Adding that to say otherwise would mean Parliament must stand dissolved.
The judges ruled that the ECZ must be allowed to continue the exercise per its mandate as prescribed in the Constitution.
By Cecilia Kayaya Mporokoso
