What You Need to Know About the Zambian Constitution 2016 PDF
Zambian Constitution 2016 PDF Download
If you are interested in learning more about Zambia's constitutional framework and its recent amendments, you might want to download and read the Zambian Constitution 2016 PDF. In this article, we will provide you with a brief overview of what is the Zambian Constitution 2016, why it is important, how to download it from various sources, and what are its main features. By reading this article, you will gain a better understanding of Zambia's legal system and its implications for its democracy, governance, human rights, and development.
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What is the Zambian Constitution 2016?
The Zambian Constitution 2016 refers to two Acts of Parliament that amended the Constitution of Zambia in 2016. The first amendment was the Constitution of Zambia Act, 2016 (Act No. 1 of 2016), which was assented on 5th January 2016 and changed some provisions of the 1991 Constitution. The second amendment was the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Act, 2016 (Act No. 2 of 2016), which was also assented on 5th January 2016 and revised the Bill of Rights to include various types of rights. The two Acts together constitute the Zambian Constitution 2016.
The Zambian Constitution 2016 was a result of a long and complex process of constitutional review and reform that started in 1991 when Zambia returned to multiparty democracy after decades of one-party rule. Since then, several attempts were made to amend or replace the constitution However, none of them succeeded due to various political, legal, and social challenges. The Zambian Constitution 2016 was the culmination of the efforts of the Technical Committee on Drafting the Zambian Constitution, which was appointed in 2011 by President Michael Sata to draft a new constitution based on the recommendations of previous constitutional review commissions and public consultations. The draft constitution was submitted to President Edgar Lungu in 2014, who decided to adopt it through a piecemeal approach by dividing it into two bills: one for non-contentious issues and one for contentious issues. The first bill was passed by Parliament in 2015 and enacted in 2016, while the second bill was subjected to a referendum in 2016, which failed to meet the required threshold of voter turnout. Therefore, only the first bill became part of the Zambian Constitution 2016.
Why is the Zambian Constitution 2016 important?
The Zambian Constitution 2016 is important because it introduced significant changes and reforms to Zambia's constitutional framework and governance system. The constitutional amendments aimed to address some of the gaps and weaknesses of the previous constitution and to enhance Zambia's democracy, rule of law, human rights, and development. Some of the main objectives and benefits of the constitutional amendments are:
To provide for a more credible and transparent presidential election system by introducing a 50%+1 majority requirement, a presidential running mate, and a presidential petition mechanism
To limit the presidential term to two five-year terms and to prevent a person who has held office twice from being eligible for re-election
To strengthen the separation of powers and checks and balances among the executive, legislature, and judiciary by providing for the impeachment of the president, the dissolution of parliament, the oversight of public officers, and the accountability of judges
To enhance the representation and participation of citizens in governance by providing for proportional representation, mixed-member electoral system, women's representation, youth representation, and independent candidates
To expand and protect the rights and freedoms of citizens by incorporating economic, social and cultural rights, environmental rights, children's rights, women's rights, persons with disabilities' rights, and older persons' rights in the Bill of Rights
To promote local governance and service delivery by providing for a local government system based on devolution, decentralization, and subsidiarity principles
To regulate political parties and ensure their accountability by providing for their registration, funding, disclosure, and representation
To establish constitutional commissions to safeguard constitutional values and principles and to perform various functions such as human rights, electoral management, public service management, gender equality, land administration, police complaints, etc.
Therefore, the Zambian Constitution 2016 is important because it reflects the aspirations and expectations of the Zambian people for a more democratic, accountable, inclusive, responsive, and progressive governance system.
How to download the Zambian Constitution 2016 PDF?
If you want to download and read the Zambian Constitution 2016 PDF, you have several options to choose from. Here are some of the reliable sources where you can access and download the official PDF versions of the Constitution of Zambia Act, 2016 and the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Act, 2016:
Option 1: Download from the National Assembly of Zambia website
The National Assembly of Zambia is the Parliament of Zambia that consists of elected members who represent constituencies across the country. The National Assembly is responsible for making laws, overseeing the executive branch, approving budgets, ratifying treaties, and performing other functions. The National Assembly of Zambia website provides access to various parliamentary documents, including the Constitution of Zambia Act, 2016 and the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Act, 2016. To download the PDF files from this source, you can follow these steps:
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the new republican constitution of the republic of zambia act no.2 of 2016 amendment bill no.17 of 2015 as passed by parliament on december,29,2015 and assented to by the president on january,5,2016. (pdf)
Visit the National Assembly of Zambia website at
Click on the "Legislation" tab on the top menu and select "Acts of Parliament"
Scroll down to find the Constitution of Zambia Act, 2016 and the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Act, 2016 in the list of Acts
Click on the "Download" button next to each Act to download the PDF file to your device
The PDF files are also available at the following links:
Option 2: Download from the Comparative Constitutions Project website
The Comparative Constitutions Project is a research initiative that provides constitutional texts and analysis for countries around the world. The project aims to advance the understanding of constitutional design and its consequences for democracy and human rights. The Comparative Constitutions Project website provides access to the Constitution of Zambia Act, 2016 in PDF format. To download the PDF file from this source, you can follow these steps:
Visit the Comparative Constitutions Project website at
Type "Zambia" in the search box and click on the "Zambia's Constitution of 2016" result
Click on the "Download PDF" button on the top right corner of the page to download the PDF file to your device
The PDF file is also available at the following link:
Option 3: Download from Academia.edu
Academia.edu is a platform for academics to share research papers. It allows users to upload and download papers, follow research interests, and connect with other scholars. Academia.edu provides access to the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Act, 2016 in PDF format. To download the PDF file from this source, you can follow these steps:
Visit Academia.edu at
Type "Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Act, 2016" in the search box and click on the "Search" button
Click on the result titled "Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Act No.2 of 2016"
Click on the "Download" button on the top right corner of the page to download the PDF fi