The politics of Zambia takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic,whereby the president of Zambia is head of state,head of government and leader of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government,while legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. Formerly Northern Rhodesia,Zambia became a republic immediately upon attaining independence in October 1964.
The president of Zambia is the head of state and the head of government of Zambia. The office was first held by Kenneth Kaunda following independence in 1964. Since 1991,when Kaunda left the presidency,the office has been held by seven others:Frederick Chiluba,Levy Mwanawasa,Rupiah Banda,Michael Sata,Edgar Lungu and the current president Hakainde Hichilema,who won the 2021 presidential election. In addition,acting president Guy Scott served in an interim capacity after the death of President Michael Sata.
The United Party for National Development (UPND) is a social liberal political party in Zambia,led by Hakainde Hichilema,the current president of the country. The party is an observer member of the Africa Liberal Network.
The Patriotic Front (PF) is a social democratic political party in Zambia. The party was formed by Michael Sata as a breakaway party of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) in 2001 after the President Frederick Chiluba nominated Levy Mwanawasa as its presidential candidate for 2001 elections. The party's main base of support are usually the youth and poor people in urban centres,as well as members of the Bemba people in Copperbelt Province and Lusaka Province.
Michael Charles Chilufya Sata was a Zambian politician who was the fifth president of Zambia,from 23 September 2011 until his death on 28 October 2014. A social democrat,he led the Patriotic Front (PF),a major political party in Zambia. Under President Frederick Chiluba,Sata was a minister during the 1990s as part of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) government. He went into opposition in 2001,forming the PF. As an opposition leader,Sata –popularly known as "King Cobra" –emerged as the leading opposition presidential contender and rival to President Levy Mwanawasa in the 2006 presidential election,but was defeated. Following Mwanawasa's death,Sata ran again and lost to President Rupiah Banda in 2008.
Presidential elections were held in Zambia on 30 October 2008 following the death of the incumbent President Levy Mwanawasa on 19 August 2008,as the elections had to be called within 90 days of his death. It was expected that there would be internal problems within the ruling Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) as Mwanawasa had not declared a successor prior to his death,but Acting President Rupiah Banda was selected as the MMD's candidate without apparent problems. Michael Sata stood as the candidate of the Patriotic Front (PF),while Hakainde Hichilema stood as the candidate of the United Party for National Development (UPND). Godfrey Miyanda stood as the candidate of the Heritage Party.
Maureen Mwanawasa is a Zambian politician and former First Lady of Zambia from 2002 until 2008. She is the widow of former President Levy Mwanawasa,who died in office in 2008.
General elections were held in Zambia on 20 September 2011,electing a President and members of the National Assembly. Michael Sata of the Patriotic Front (PF) won the presidential elections,defeating incumbent Rupiah Banda of the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD),and was sworn into office on 23 September. The PF emerged as the largest party in the National Assembly,winning 60 of the 148 seats decided on election day.
Guy Lindsay Scott is a Zambian politician who was the acting president of Zambia between October 2014 and January 2015 and the 12th vice-president of Zambia from 2011 to 2014. Scott was named Acting President upon Michael Sata's death in office on 28 October 2014. He was the first white president of Zambia and the first white president in mainland sub-Saharan Africa since F. W. de Klerk,South Africa's last apartheid-era president,left office in 1994.
Presidential elections were held in Zambia on 20 January 2015 to elect a president to serve the remainder of the term of President Michael Sata,following his death on 28 October 2014.
General elections were held in Zambia on 11 August 2016 to elect the President and National Assembly. A constitutional referendum was held alongside the elections,with proposals to amend the bill of rights and Article 79.
Christine Kaseba is a Zambian physician,surgeon and politician who served as the First Lady of Zambia from September 2011 until her husband's death in October 2014. She is the widow of former President Michael Sata,who died in office on October 28,2014. Kaseba made an unsuccessful bid for President of Zambia in the January 2015 special presidential election to succeed her husband. She was appointed Zambian Ambassador to France on April 16,2018.
Edgar Chagwa Lungu is a Zambian politician who served as the sixth president of Zambia from 25 January 2015 to 24 August 2021. Under President Michael Sata,Lungu served as Minister of Justice and Minister of Defence. Following Sata's death in October 2014,Lungu was adopted as the candidate of the ruling Patriotic Front in a Convention of the Patriotic Front in Kabwe,for the January 2015 presidential by-election,which was to determine who would serve out the remainder of Sata's term. In the election,he narrowly defeated opposition candidate Hakainde Hichilema and took office on 25 January 2015.
Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba is a Zambian businessman and politician who served as Member of Parliament for Kasama Central from 2009 to 2016. He later served as Vice President of the UPND. Under the Patriotic Front government of President Michael Sata,he served as Minister of Defence from 2011 to 2013.
Irene Chirwa Mambilima was the Chief Justice of Zambia from 2015 until her death in 2021. She also served as Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Zambia and presided over the 2006 and 2011 general elections and the January 2015 presidential by-election. She was part of several election observer missions including in Liberia,Kenya,Mozambique,and Seychelles. Her other international assignments included serving as Sessional Judge of the Supreme Court of The Gambia in 2003. Mambilima sat on the International Board of the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ) as a Director of the Africa Region. She was also a member of several professional associations including the Zambia Association of Women Judges,the Editorial Board Council of Law Reporting,the Child Fund (Zambia),Women in Law Southern Africa,and the Council of the Institution of Advanced Legal Education.
Emmanuel Tawanda Chenda is a Zambian politician and diplomat. He served as Member of the National Assembly for Bwana Mkubwa between 2011 and 2016. He also held the posts of Minister of Agriculture and Livestock,Minister of Commerce,Trade and Industry and Minister of Local Government and Housing between 2011 and 2015. In November 2017 he was appointed Ambassador to neighbouring Zimbabwe.
Lawrence Zimba is a Zambian politician. He served as Member of the National Assembly for Kapiri Mposhi from 2011 until 2013.
Chipepo Peter Friday Malwa is a Zambian politician. He served as Member of the National Assembly for Kapiri Mposhi from 2006 until 2011.
Sydney Mushanga is a Zambian politician. He currently serves as Member of the National Assembly for Bwacha,as well as the Minister for Central Province.
General elections were held in Zambia on 12 August 2021 to elect the President,National Assembly,mayors,council chairs and councillors. Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development was elected president,defeating incumbent Edgar Lungu of the Patriotic Front.
