Editing Politics of Zambia (section)

===2015–present===
[[Edgar Lungu|Edgar Chagwa Lungu]] was sworn in as president of Zambia on 25 January 2015, succeeding acting-president [[Guy Scott]] who briefly held the office after the passing of Michael Chiluyfa Sata. Lungu's presidency has thus far been criticised for failing to halt the depreciating [[Zambian Kwacha|Kwacha]]. There have also been unsubstantiated reports of Lungu's alleged alcoholism, stemming from a reported physical collapse early in his presidency.<ref name="BBC Lungu">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-31795526|title=Edgar Lungu collapse: Zambian president 'needs treatment abroad'|date=2015-03-09|work=[[BBC]]|access-date=2020-07-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828145910/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-31795526|archive-date=2017-08-28|url-status=live}}</ref> The economic challenges facing Zambia, in particular the depreciating Kwacha, have been attributed to the global fall of commodity prices. Zambia derives over 90% of its export earnings from a single commodity, copper, which has lost about 45% of its value on the international commodity market.

On 5 January 2016, Lungu successfully concluded long-standing constitutional issues when he assented to the 2015 Constitutional Amendment Bill. This bill is the result of extensive work begun during the Mwanawasa era (The Mwanakatwe Commission) and continued by the Michael Chilufya Sata appointed Technical Committee. As justice minister, Lungu had previously presented the draft constitution to parliament, where it was subsequently decided that non-contentious issues will be debated in parliament and contentious issues will be subject to a referendum. In the August [[2016 Zambian general election]], President Edgar Lungu won re-election narrowly in the first round of the election. The opposition had allegations of fraud and the governing Patriotic Front (PF) rejected the allegations made by opposition UPND party.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-37086365|title = Zambia's President Edgar Lungu declared election winner|work = BBC News|date = 15 August 2016}}</ref> However, in 2020 the Parliament through the office of the justice minister (Given Lubinda) proposed a bill called Bill 10, which was rejected in Parliament on its third reading.

In the [[2021 Zambian general election|2021 general elections]], characterised by a 70% voter turnout, [[Hakainde Hichilema]] won 59% of the vote, with his closest rival, incumbent president Edgar Chagwa Lungu, receiving 39% of the vote.<ref name="zm-elec-39">{{Cite news|url=https://zambiaelections2021.org.zm/|title=Presidential Election Results|work=Electoral Commission of Zambia|date=16 August 2021|access-date=16 November 2021|archive-date=2 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211102194510/https://zambiaelections2021.org.zm/|url-status=dead}}</ref> On 16 August Edgar Lungu conceded in a TV statement, sending a letter and congratulating president-elect Hakainde Hichilema.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-08-16|title=Zambia election: Hakainde Hichilema beats President Edgar Lungu|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-58226695|access-date=2021-08-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet |last=Kabwe |first=Zitto |author-link=Zitto Kabwe |user=zittokabwe |number=1426967254986629126 |date=15 August 2021 |title=#Zambia President @EdgarCLungu has conceded in a letter sent to now president elect @HHichilema of @UPNDZM. Once again Zambia has shown the world the level of its democratic maturity. Peaceful transfer of power is happening for third time in history. Congratulations Zambians |language=en |access-date=30 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827180204/https://twitter.com/zittokabwe/status/1426967254986629126 |archive-date=27 August 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> On 24 August 2021, Hakainde Hichilema was sworn in as the new President of Zambia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2021/08/24/africa/zambia-president-hichilema-inauguration-intl/index.html|title = Zambia's Hakainde Hichilema sworn in as President in rare victory for an African opposition leader| date=24 August 2021 }}</ref>