By Lovemore Lubinda
The Zambian Parliament on Monday delivered a strong verdict on the controversial Constitution Amendment Bill Number 7 of 2025, sending shockwaves abreast the country’s political divide.
The Bill sailed through during the second reading by more than the required two-thirds majority.
However, this overwhelming vote exposed deep fractures within the country’s main opposition party, the Patriotic Front (PF).
After gruelling hours of heated tension, procedural deadlocks, and public advocacy, the House passed the Bill in its second reading with 131 votes, giving it the green light to the Third and final Reading with 135 votes, safely above the required two-thirds majority threshold.
By close of business, Parliament adjourned indefinitely.
The Bill now awaits presidential assent.
The voting exposed underlying deep fissures within the PF as opposition leaders had called for a boycott.
Soon after the vote, social media went haywire with a list making rounds naming legislators accused of “selling out.”
Apparently, the level of across-the-floor voting shocked many including seasoned observers.
More than 30 PF (main opposition) MPs and several independent legislators voted in support of the Bill, going against public commitments and party position.
By afternoon, celebrations erupted within ruling party UPND-aligned quarters, with supporters hailing the outcome as a structural reset of Zambia’s democracy.
President Hichilema welcomed the development, urging fellow Zambians to now focus on nation-building.
He wrote:
Fellow Zambians,
Bill 7 has been one of the most topical and consequential issues of our time, one that has tested the strength of our democracy and the unity of our nation. Throughout this process, we all engaged in lobbying and robust debate; we agreed and, at times, disagreed. As is the nature of any democratic process, such engagement must ultimately lead to a resolution.
The greatest winners in this process are the people of Zambia and our democracy itself. The people have spoken through their duly elected representatives, and as a nation committed to democratic principles, we must respect both the outcome and the collective resolve it represents.
Now is the time to turn our full attention to national development. We must do so as one people; Government, the opposition, civil society, and citizens alike, moving forward together in one direction.
United by our shared destiny, let us reaffirm our commitment to One Zambia, One Nation, and work collectively for the progress and prosperity of our country.
Hakainde Hichilema,
President of the Republic of Zambia.
