Zambian government denies plans to extend President Hichilema's term

There have been speculations that the government was planning to change the constitution to extend presidential term limit from five to seven years. Zambia’s Presidency said Friday there are no plans by the government to embark on a secret constitutional review process to extend the presidential term limit. State House chief communications specialist Clayson Hamasaka said a distorted narrative peddled by the opposition had been noted to the effect that the government wanted to embark on a secret constitutional review process to extend the presidential term limit from five to seven years. “For the avoidance of doubt, President Hakainde Hichilema swore to uphold and defend the Republican Constitution. Accordingly, President Hichilema remains resolute to defend the constitution and has no interest in manipulating it for his personal benefit,” Hamasaka said in a statement. He said Hichilema assures Zambians that he would continue to uphold and defend the Constitution, which provides for maximum two five-year presidential terms. Hichilema took office in 2021 after defeating Edgar Lungu by 1 million votes in general elections and his first term will expire in 2026. ➤ Click here to follow our WhatsApp channel for more stories.