Zambian general election, 2016

Zambian general election, 2016

11 August 2016

5,166,088 registered voters   Nominee Edgar Lungu Hakainde Hichilema Party PF UPND

Incumbent President Edgar Lungu PF

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General elections will be held in Zambia on 11 August 2016 to elect the President and National Assembly. A constitutional referendum will be held alongside the elections, with proposals to amend the bill of rights and Article 79.

Background

The previous general elections in 2011 resulted in a victory for the Patriotic Front (PF), whose candidate Michael Sata was elected President, with the PF winning 61 of the 150 seats in the National Assembly. Following Sata's death in October 2014, early presidential elections were held to elect a successor to complete the remainder of his five-year term, and PF candidate Edgar Lungu was elected.

Electoral system

Although previously the President had been elected in a single round of voting by the first-past-the-post system, the National Assembly is debating whether to change to a two-round system.

Of the 159 members of the National Assembly, 150 are elected by the first-past-the-post system in single-member constituencies, with a further eight appointed by the President and a Speaker elected from outside the National Assembly.

The voting age is 18, whilst National Assembly candidates must be at least 21.