TEN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES REJECT CALLS TO REMOVE TERM LIMITS

BY BARNABAS ZULUTen presidential candidates who participated in the August 13, 2026 general election have rejected calls to abolish presidential term limits, warning that the proposal could undermine Zambia’s democracy and pave the way for excessive concentration of political power.The candidates, led by Citizens First president Harry Kalaba, Zambia Must Prosper president Kelvin Bwalya Fube and Socialist Party president Fred M’membe, have urged Members of Parliament to defend Article 106 of the Constitution, which provides for presidential term limits.In a joint statement issued yesterday, the candidates said the Constitution was not the personal property of those occupying public office but a social contract intended 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,” they stated.The candidates were responding to a reported proposal by nominated youth Member of Parliament Mwato Kabaso to remove presidential term limits, a move that would potentially allow President Hakainde Hichilema to seek re-election without the existing constitutional restriction.They argued that Zambia had sufficient human resources to produce competent leaders and dismissed suggestions that the country lacked individuals capable of governing.“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.The candidates said Zambia's experience under the one-party state between 1973 and 1991 demonstrated the dangers of excessive concentration of political power and weak institutional accountability.They acknowledged that economic challenges during that period were partly influenced by international factors but maintained that 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 resistance to the proposal demonstrated the importance of defending 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 further cited the constitutional eligibility case involving former President Edgar Lungu as evidence of 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.The candidates also urged Government to prioritise economic development, job creation, education, healthcare, infrastructure development and poverty reduction rather than pursue constitutional changes that could weaken democratic accountability.They emphasised that their opposition to removing presidential term limits was not motivated by 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.The candidates warned that the presidency was an office of service and not an inheritance, stressing that Zambia must remain a democratic republic rather than become an individual's personal political project.

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