congratulating president-elect Hakainde Hichilema. On 24 August 2021, Hakainde Hichilema was sworn in as the new President of Zambia. Executive branch The executive branch of the Zambian government is vested in the president who is elected in a two round system. Presidents serve terms of five years and are limited to two terms. Prior to the 2016 Constitutional Amendment the Zambian vice-president was appointed by the president, but the current 2016 amendment puts the vice-president on the same electoral ticket as the president (running mate) (Article 110 Sec 2, 3 and 4) and in the event of a vacancy of an elected president the vice-president is the immediate successor to the president and remains president until the next general election (Article 106 Sec 5(a) and Sec 6). This is in contrast to the 1996 constitution that required a by-election within 90 days of an elected president's vacancy with the vice-president acting as an interim (as was the case with former Acting-President Guy Scott in October 2014 to January 2015 and former President Rupiah Banda in 2008 after the deaths of Presidents Sata and Mwanawasa respectfully). The presidency is currently filled by Hakainde Hichilema with Mutale Nalumango as vice-president since 2021. Legislative branch The unicameral National Assembly of Zambia is the country's legislative body. The current National Assembly, formed following elections held on 12 August 2021, has a total of 167 members. 156 members are directly elected in single-member constituencies using the simple majority (or First-past-the-post) system. 8 seats are filled through presidential appointment, and 3 seats are held by ex-officio members: the Vice President, the Speaker and one Deputy Speaker. All members serve five-year terms. Political parties and elections Presidential elections Parliamentary elections Judicial branch The Supreme Court is the highest court and the court of appeal; below it are the high court, magistrate's court, and local courts. A separate Constitutional Court was established in 2016. Military The Zambian Defense Force (ZDF) consists of the army, the air force, and Zambian National Service (ZNS). The ZDF is designed primarily for external defence. The Zambia Police force is not part of the defence force, it was established for internal security services and is under the ministry of home affairs. Foreign relations Zambia is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the Commonwealth, the African Union (and its predecessor the Organization of African Unity or OAU), the Southern African Development Community (SADC),