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The Development Peoples Party (DPP) says it has rejected what it calls a “top-down” approach by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) in the ongoing delimitation exercise, warning that the process breaches both the Electoral Process Act and constitutional requirements for transparency and inclusiveness.
In a letter to the ECZ dated February 9, 2026, DPP president, Dr. Kafula Mubanga, questioned why key stakeholders, including political parties, the Church, civil society organisations, traditional leaders and the general public, were allegedly excluded from formulating the proposed constituency boundaries.
Mubanga said a delimitation exercise was “not merely a technical task, but a fundamental democratic process that defines the representation of the people.” He argued that the ECZ’s method contradicts the spirit of the law and risks undermining public confidence ahead of the 2026 general elections.
He said the DPP wanted the ECZ to explain whose interests were being protected by bypassing broad consultations with the very citizens the new boundaries were meant to serve. Mubanga also demanded clarity on the technical criteria or population thresholds used to propose an increase in constituency-based seats from 156 to 226.
According to the DPP, the net increase of 70 constituencies was presented by the ECZ to align with the National Assembly composition prescribed in the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Act No. 13 of 2025. However, Mubanga said the Commission had not demonstrated how those figures were arrived at.
“However, it remains entirely unclear how the specific determination for these new constituencies was reached,” he said.
Mubanga insisted that a detailed technical report must be released outlining the demographic, spatial and consultative basis for the 226-seat assessment plan. He also demanded a full disclosure of the ECZ’s timeline for engaging the Church, NGOs and traditional leaders before final decisions are made.
He warned that the DPP wanted the delimitation exercise suspended immediately until a “genuine, inclusive stakeholder forum” was convened, saying the current approach appeared to be designed to simply “validate” decisions that were already made.
“We call for the immediate suspension of the delimitation exercise until a genuine, inclusive stakeholder forum is convened to ensure the process is ‘people-driven’ rather than administratively imposed,” Mubanga said.
Mubanga stressed that the credibility of the 2026 elections hinged on a delimitation process that was “beyond reproach.”
He also warned that the party would take the matter to the Constitutional Court if the ECZ failed to respond within 48 hours.
“Failure to address these concerns within 48 hours will leave the DPP with no option but to seek legal redress in the Constitutional Court to protect the integrity of our democracy,” he said.
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