Zambia's Upcoming Election on 13 August 2023 Amid Political Tensions

TLDR

• On 13 August, more than eight million registered voters will get the chance to choose a president and a new parliament.
• When he took office in 2021, Zambia was in debt distress and had been failing to make its payments.
• The political landscape shifted dramatically with Lungu’s death on 5 June last year.
• This election is the first under significant constitutional changes enacted in late 2025.
• The courts had ruled that he could not run again, after having won two elections, but his passing removed the opposition’s most recognisable figure and initially appeared to create a smoother path to victory for the.