National holiday:
Independence Day, 24 October (1964)
Constitution:
24 August 1991
Legal system:
based on English common law and customary law; judicial review of
legislative acts in an ad hoc constitutional council; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Levy MWANAWASA (since 2 January 2002);
Vice President Lupando MWAPE (since 4 October 2004); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Levy MWANAWASA (since 2 January 2002);
Vice President Lupando MWAPE (since 4 October 2004); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members
of the National Assembly
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 27 December 2001 (next to be held December 2006);
vice president appointed by the president
election results: Levy MWANAWASA elected president; percent of vote
- Levy MWANAWASA 29%, Anderson MAZOKA 27%, Christon TEMBO 13%,
Tilyenji KAUNDA 10%, Godfrey MIYANDA 8%, Benjamin MWILA 5%, Michael
SATA 3%, other 5%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (150 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 27 December 2001 (next to be held December 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - MMD 45.9%, UPND 32.4%,
UNIP 8.8%, FDD 8.1%, HP 2.7%, PF 0.7%, ZRP 0.7%, independents 0.7%;
seats by party - MMD 68, UPND 48, UNIP 13, FDD 12, HP 4, PF 1, ZRP
1, independents 1; seats not determined 2
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (the final court of appeal; justices are appointed by
the president); High Court (has unlimited jurisdiction to hear civil
and criminal cases)
Political parties and leaders:
Agenda for Zambia or AZ [Inonge MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA]; Forum for
Democracy and Development or FDD [Christon TEMBO]; Heritage Party or
HP [Godfrey MIYANDA]; Liberal Progressive Front or LPF [Roger
CHONGWE, president]; Movement for Multiparty Democracy or MMD [Levy
MWANAWASA, acting president]; National Leadership for Development or
NLD [Yobert SHAMAPANDE]; National Party or NP [Dr. Sam CHIPUNGU];
Patriotic Front or PF [Michael SATA]; Zambian Republican Party or
ZRP [Benjamin MWILA]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Gwendoline
KONIE]; United National Independence Party or UNIP [Francis NKHOMA,
president]; United Party for National Development or UPND [Anderson
MAZOKA]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN,
UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNOCI,
UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO