Lusaka – Zambia’s ruling party’s attempt on Thursday to push through a constitutional amendment that would have increased the president’s powers in the electoral system has failed.
It also sought to give President Edgar Lungu more control on central bank’s monetary policy and curb parliament’s oversight role.
The amendment, known as Bill number 10, failed to garner the support of the mandatory two-thirds of Members of Parliament. It got 105 votes out of the required 111 votes.
Opposition lawmakers snubbed the parliamentary session.
There was jubilation in the capital, Lusaka, after the bill failed.
Hakainde Hichilema, leader of the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) party, celebrated the bill’s defeat in a Facebook post, saying it was “a diabolical idea from an evil regime that had sought to entrench itself against the will of the people”.
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