ECZ Pledges Transparency as Delimitation Process Takes Shape

The Electoral Commission of Zambia has called on stakeholders to remain patient as it works through the complex task of allocating 70 new constituencies across the country, reassuring the public that the process will be conducted with full transparency.

ECZ Chairperson Mwangala Zaloumis made the appeal in Mongu, Western Province, at the close of provincial delimitation sittings, where she addressed journalists in a press briefing that underscored the Commission's commitment to keeping the public informed at every stage.

"All submissions made to the Commission will be given due consideration," Mrs Zaloumis said, striking a tone of measured reassurance that many stakeholders had been waiting to hear. She acknowledged that the contributions received from communities across the province had been instrumental in shaping a process designed to deliver outcomes that are fair, equitable and genuinely representative of Zambia's diverse population.

The delimitation exercise, which will redraw the boundaries of political representation for millions of Zambians, is among the most consequential institutional exercises the country has undertaken in recent years. Getting it right matters not just for the integrity of future elections, but for the broader confidence citizens place in democratic institutions.

That confidence, carefully rebuilt over the past four years, reflects a national mood that has come to expect more from its government. It is precisely that expectation, one of accountability, openness and inclusive governance, that President Hakainde Hichilema has consistently sought to meet since taking office in 2021.