UPND says it will not abuse its parliamentary majority. A promise is not a safeguard

LUSAKA. The United Party for National Development (UPND) says it will not abuse its majority in Parliament. UPND Deputy Spokesperson Elvis Nkandu made the statement to Phoenix FM on 11 October, as reported by the Zambian Observer (by Elesani Phiri). He was responding to Tonse Pamodzi Alliance Secretary General Muhabi Lungu. Mr Nkandu pointed to mixed-member proportional representation as part of the answer. Under that system, some seats are filled from party lists as well as by constituency vote. Wikipedia's results table (99.29 percent reporting) gives the UPND 160 seats: 136 constituency and 24 proportional. The NRPUP has 76: 60 constituency and 16 proportional. Independents have 20, the Resolute Party 5, Citizens First 2 and Zambia Must Prosper 1. The table also lists 14 appointed members, for a total of 278. Two of the 226 constituencies are still pending. The page is inconsistent: its infobox says 280 seats and a majority of 141. By our arithmetic, 160 of 278 is about 58 percent. Two-thirds of 278 is 186. The UPND is about 26 short on elected seats alone, before appointed members. The ECZ results site could not be read by our tools. The 2025 amendment created 226 constituency seats and 40 proportional seats. The proportional seats follow each party's presidential vote and are reserved for 20 women, 15 youth and 5 persons with disabilities. Mr Nkandu's reference to mixed-member proportional representation is correct as a description of the system. On these figures, the UPND has a clear majority but not two-thirds on its own. That is why the exact seat count matters. A party with a simple majority can pass ordinary laws. Changing the Constitution needs partners. A promise from a party is not a safeguard. Safeguards are rules, committees, and an opposition able to use them. Voters can ask which of those exist and who is using them.