Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (158 seats; 150 members are elected by
popular vote, eight members are appointed by the president, 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]; 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]; Zambian Republican Party or ZRP [Benjamin
MWILA]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Inonge MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA chancery: 2419 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-9717 through 9719 FAX: [1] (202) 332-0826
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Carmen M. MARTINEZ embassy: corner of Independence and United Nations Avenues, Lusaka mailing address: P. O. Box 31617, Lusaka telephone: [260] (1) 250-955 FAX: [260] (1) 252-225
Flag description:
green with a panel of three vertical bands of red (hoist side),
black, and orange below a soaring orange eagle, on the outer edge of
the flag
Economy Zambia
Economy - overview:
Despite progress in privatization and budgetary reform, Zambia's
economic growth remains somewhat below the 6%-7% needed to reduce
poverty significantly. Privatization of government-owned copper
mines relieved the government from covering mammoth losses generated
by the industry and greatly improved the chances for copper mining
to return to profitability and spur economic growth. Copper output
has increased steadily since 2004, due to higher copper prices and
the opening of new mines. The maize harvest was again good in 2005,
helping boost GDP and agricultural exports. Cooperation continues
with international bodies on programs to reduce poverty, including a
new lending arrangement with the IMF in the second quarter of 2004.
A tighter monetary policy will help cut inflation, but Zambia still
has a serious problem with high public debt.