1996 Zambian general election

General elections were held in Zambia on 18 November 1996 to elect a President and National Assembly. They were boycotted by the main opposition party, the United National Independence Party, together with five other allied parties, following changes to the constitution which they failed to have reversed following a court challenge. The changes imposed a two-term limit on the presidency, required presidential candidates to be born to two Zambian citizens by birth or descent, and required National Assembly candidates to give up their chieftaincy. UNIP believed these changes were specifically aimed at their longtime leader, Kenneth Kaunda, whose parents were Malawian and had previously served as the country's first president from 1964 to 1991. The changes would have also excluded UNIP's vice president, a chief.^[1] Subsequently, the ruling Movement for Multi-Party Democracy won a comfortable victory in both elections, taking 131 of the 150 elected seats in the National Assembly, and its candidate, Frederick Chiluba, winning 73% of the vote in the presidential election.

1996 Zambian general election

← 1991 18 November 1996 2001 →
Presidential election
Turnout	58.44%
Nominee Frederick Chiluba Dean Mungomba Humphrey Mulemba Party MMD ZADECO NP Popular vote 913,770 160,439 83,875 Percentage 72.59% 12.75% 6.66%
President before election Frederick Chiluba MMD Elected President Frederick Chiluba MMD

Out of an estimated 4,500,000 eligible voters, only 2,267,382 registered. Amongst registered voters, turnout was 58%.^[2]

Results

President

Candidate		Party	Votes	%
	Frederick Chiluba	Movement for Multi-Party Democracy	913,770	72.59
	Dean Mungomba	Zambia Democratic Congress	160,439	12.75
	Humphrey Mulemba	National Party	83,875	6.66
	Akashambatwa Mbikusita-Lewanika	Agenda for Zambia	59,250	4.71
	Chama Chakomboka	Movement for Democratic Process	41,471	3.29
Total			1,258,805	100.00
Valid votes			1,258,805	95.00
Invalid/blank votes			66,248	5.00
Total votes			1,325,053	100.00
Registered voters/turnout			2,267,382	58.44
Source: EISA

National Assembly

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Movement for Multi-Party Democracy	778,989	60.88	131	+6
	Zambia Democratic Congress	176,521	13.79	2	New
	National Party	90,823	7.10	5	New
	National Lima Party	81,876	6.40	0	New
	Agenda for Zambia	18,982	1.48	2	New
	National Congress	2,313	0.18	0	New
	Liberal Progressive Front	759	0.06	0	New
	Movement for Democratic Progress	632	0.05	0	New
	United National Independence Party	477	0.04	0	–25
	Party for Poor People	293	0.02	0	New
	Real Democracy Party	182	0.01	0	New
	Independents	127,760	9.98	10	+10
Presidential appointees				8	0
Appointed speaker				1	0
Total		1,279,607	100.00	159	0
Valid votes		1,279,607	95.99
Invalid/blank votes		53,462	4.01
Total votes		1,333,069	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		2,267,382	58.79
Source: EISA

See also

• List of members of the National Assembly of Zambia (1996–2001)

References

1. Zambia: 1996 general elections EISA
2. Zambia: 1996 Presidential elections national results EISA