Zambians Support Parliament's Role but Express Little Confidence in MPs

30 September 2026
Afrobarometer (Accra)
By Edward Chibwili

Few citizens think representatives listen to what ordinary people have to say.

Key findings

  • Almost nine in 10 Zambians (87%) say elected officials should prioritise voter demands rather than their own ideas.
  • But only 15% of citizens say MPs "often" or "always" try their best to listen to what ordinary people have to say.
  • About one in six citizens (17%) say they contacted an MP during the previous year about some important problem or to give them their views.
  • More than two-thirds (70%) of citizens think Parliament - rather than the president - should make the country's laws, even if the president doesn't agree.
  • Two-thirds (66%) of citizens want the president to be accountable to Parliament for how his government spends taxpayers' money.
  • Three in 10 Zambians (30%) say that "most" or "all" MPs are involved in corruption. In addition, nearly half (46%) believe that "some of them" are.
  • Fewer than half (45%) of citizens say they trust Parliament "somewhat" or "a lot," down 9 percentage points since 2013.
  • Only about three in 10 citizens (28%) "approve" or "strongly approve" of the way their MPs have done their jobs over the past 12 months, a drop of 15 percentage points compared to 2013.

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Zambia's Parliament represents citizens, makes laws, approves the national budget, and exercises oversight over the executive under the Constitution of Zambia (Republic of Zambia, 2021). The National Assembly's Strategic Plan 2022-2026 provides a framework for strengthening parliamentary governance, accountability, oversight, and institutional effectiveness (National Assembly of Zambia, 2022). Recent institutional developments have included efforts to modernise parliamentary operations through e-Parliament initiatives and capacity-building programmes to strengthen the analytical and professional capacity of parliamentary staff (National Assembly of Zambia, 2025a).

The institutional environment in which Zambia's Parliament operates has also changed significantly following 2025 constitutional reforms, including an expansion of constituency based representation and the introduction of a mixed-member proportional-representation system intended to enhance the representation of women, youth, and persons with disabilities (National Assembly of Zambia, 2025b; ConstitutionNet, 2025; DW Africa, 2025).

Meanwhile, recent revisions to Parliament's Standing Orders have been presented as part of efforts to improve the way Parliament conducts its business and exercises oversight over public resources (National Assembly of Zambia, 2026).

Despite these institutional efforts, concerns about the conduct and effectiveness of members of Parliament (MPs) persist. Disruptions in parliamentary proceedings, including the suspension of 17 opposition MPs for disorderly conduct, have raised questions about parliamentary decorum and the House's ability to conduct business effectively (National Assembly of Zambia, 2026; Zambian Observer, 2026). Critics have accused MPs of putting politics ahead of public service (Musokotwane, 2025).

An independent assessment by the Advocates for Democratic Governance Foundation noted major legislative achievements of the most recent National Assembly, including passage of an access-to-information law, repeal of the offence of criminal defamation of the president, and abolition of the death penalty (Sichula, 2026). But it also expressed concerns about restrictions on civic space, particularly in the digital domain, and rushed legislative processes that excluded public input.

With a newly elected National Assembly scheduled to convene on 9 October 2026 following general elections in August, what insights does public opinion offer incoming MPs?

The most recent Afrobarometer survey shows solid public backing for parliamentary functions: Strong majorities of citizens want Parliament - rather than the president - to make laws and to hold the president accountable for how his administration spends taxpayers' money.

But most Zambians rate their MPs poorly. While a majority want elected officials to prioritise voter demands over their own ideas, only a minority believe MPs actually listen to what ordinary people have to say. Most citizens see at least "some" MPs as corrupt, and fewer than half say they trust their MP even "somewhat."

Edward Chibwili Edward Chibwili is the national investigator for Zambia.

Read the original article on Afrobarometer.

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