Removal of presidential term limit rejected

…with ten presidential candidates who participated in the August 13 general elections accusing those calling for an open-ended presidential term limit of planning to revert Zambia to a one-party state with power being concentrated into an individual holding the office of President By BARNABAS ZULU TEN presidential candidates who participated in the August 13, 2026 general elections have collectively rejected calls by UPND supporters to expunge the presidential term limit from the Constitution, warning that the move could kill the country’s democracy and concentrate power in the hands of one individual. The candidates, led by Citizens First president Harry Kalaba, Zambia Must Prosper president Kelvin Bwalya Fube and Socialist Party president Fred M’membe, have called on Members of Parliament to defend Article 106 of the Constitution, which provides for presidential term limits. In a joint statement yesterday, the candidates said the country’s Constitution was not the personal possession of those occupying public office but a social contract designed to protect the democratic aspirations of present and future generations. “We reject any proposal or indeed calls aimed at abolishing presidential term limits in Zambia. Zambia’s Constitution is not the personal possession of those occupying public office but a social contract designed to protect the democratic aspirations of present and future generations,” the candidates stated. They were responding to a reported proposal by nominated youth Member of Parliament Mwato Kabaso to remove presidential term limits so that President Hakainde Hichilema could be eligible to contest the presidency as long as he wished. But the presidential candidates have argued that the country had sufficient human resources to produce competent leaders, dismissing suggestions that it lacked individuals capable of governing better than President Hichilema. “Having now produced thousands of engineers, lawyers, doctors, economists, professionals from various fields and countless school leavers, the claim that we can find no single person from all those to run the country better than Mr Hichilema is plainly without basis,” they stated. They said the country’s experience under the one-party state between 1973 and 1991 demonstrated the dangers of excessive concentration of political power and weak institutional accountability. The candidates explained that although economic challenges during that period were influenced by international factors, limited political competition and unchallenged government decisions contributed to the country’s difficulties. They also recalled the 2001 third-term debate involving former president Frederick Chiluba, saying the resistance to the proposal demonstrated the importance of protecting constitutional principles above political loyalty. “Democracy is not merely about the freedom to choose who governs us; it is equally about ensuring that no one becomes too powerful to be replaced,” they stated. The candidates also cited the eligibility case involving former president Edgar Lungu, saying it demonstrated the importance of enforcing constitutional provisions regardless of an individual’s political standing. They called on young people, churches, civil society organisations, traditional leaders and professional associations to participate in defending constitutional democracy. They emphasised that their opposition to removing presidential term limits was not an act of hostility towards President Hichilema or any political party. “Presidents come and go, political parties rise and fall, governments change, but the Republic of Zambia must endure,” they stated. The statement was signed by Kelvin Bwalya Fube, Harry Kalaba, Fred M’membe, Ackim Njobvu, Given Chansa, Given Katuta, Brian Mushimba, Howard Kunda, Richwell Siamunene and Richard Silumbe. Ends.

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