ECZ to Unveil 40 Proportional Representation MPs

The Electoral Commission of Zambia will on Friday unveil the 40 Members of Parliament elected under the country's new proportional representation system.

The Commission said it has completed the distribution of seats to qualifying political parties following the enactment of the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Act No. 13 of 2025, which created 40 proportional representation seats in the National Assembly alongside further PR seats in councils.

The new National Assembly seats are reserved for special interest groups, ECZ corporate affairs manager Patricia Luhanga said in a statement: 20 for women, 15 for youth and five for persons with disabilities.

Seats were allocated to qualifying parties in proportion to the total valid votes won by their presidential candidates at national level, using a quota-based formula prescribed by law, Luhanga said. Political parties have since submitted their party lists.

Two parties have qualified for the National Assembly PR seats: the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity, and the United Party for National Development.

The Commission has set Friday, 18 September 2026 as the official date for candidates to appear before the returning officer and for the validation of party lists. The event will be held at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka.

The reforms mark the first time proportional representation has been used to fill seats in Zambia's National Assembly, introducing a guaranteed bloc of members drawn from groups historically under-represented in the chamber.