AAAZ Commends the President for Putting Citizens First in Deferring Bill No. 7
Lusaka, Zambia -27th June 2025-Alliance for Accountability Advocates Zambia (AAAZ) commends President Hakainde Hichilema for putting citizens first by deferring Bill No. 7 of 2025 in favor of broader national consultations. This is a significant and commendable decision that reflects leadership which listens and responds to the voices of the people. At a time when concerns were mounting around rushed constitutional amendments, this step affirms the importance of inclusive, participatory governance, and offers Zambia a renewed opportunity to get the reform process right.
For months, AAAZ, in collaboration with other civil society organizations, has consistently called for a more transparent, citizen-led constitutional reform process. As an organization, we have publicly raised concerns about the proposed piecemeal amendments since March 2025, arguing that such changes should not be driven by political timelines but by the broader aspirations of the Zambian people. Since then, AAAZ has engaged communities, through social media campaigns, conducted outreach, and worked to elevate public awareness around the need for a comprehensive and inclusive approach.
This decision by the President is a clear response to the voices of many Zambians, from civil society actors to grassroots communities who have been calling for reforms that reflect real national consensus. It signals a willingness to pause, reflect, and reset the tone of this process toward one that is more transparent, participatory, and rooted in the principles of accountability and equity.
As we welcome this development, we must now focus our collective attention on ensuring that the next steps are designed with intentional inclusivity. Constitutional reform is not just about legal frameworks; it is about people. The process must now be restructured to allow meaningful participation from all sectors of society including persons with disabilities, rural communities, women, the youth, and older persons. This means consultations should be conducted in formats that are accessible, with materials provided in Braille, sign language interpretation made available, documents translated into local languages, and information simplified to cater to citizens of all literacy levels and age groups.
Inclusion must not be symbolic. It must be technical, practical, and genuine. People must not only be invited to participate they must be empowered to influence the outcome. This is how democratic legitimacy is built, and how trust in governance is restored.
AAAZ stands ready to contribute to this next phase through continued civic mobilization, technical support, and mobilization of engagement and dialogue meeting at National to community level. We remain committed to a reform process that is shaped by the people and for the people, a process that strengthens Zambia’s democracy for generations to come.
We also want to use this opportunity to call on different stakeholders and the cooperating Partners to provide technical and financial support to CSOs and indeed to government to ensure participation of every Zambian in this very important process.
What the President has done is more than defer a bill, he has created space for a better national conversation a process that will ensure better content of the Zambian Constitution. Let us use this space wisely.
Read by: Luchembe M.K Chilufya,
Executive Director,
Alliance for Accountability Advocates Zambia (AAAZ).
For media inquiries, contact: AAAZ Communications: Phone: +260957090515
Email: communication@aaazambia.org
