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 required a presidential candidate to be born to two Zambian citizens by birth or descent, and National Assembly candidates to give up their chieftaincy. UNIP believed this was specifically aimed at their candidates, Kenneth Kaunda, whose parents were Malawian and had previously served several terms as president, and its 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.
Out of about 4,500,000 eligible voters, only 2,267,382 million registered. Amongst registered voters, turnout was 58%.[2]
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