Member of Parliament for Lukulu East Hon. Dr. Christopher Kalila has made history as the second Zambian and fifth in African to be elected as Chairperson of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Executive Committee. His election took place in a closely contested race during the 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, held in Sydney, Australia. The term of office is three years.   

Dr. Kalila emerged victorious on 7th November 2024 over Speaker of the Barbados Parliament Hon. Arthur Holder, and outgoing Acting Chairperson of the CPA, by a single vote in a decisive rerun. The race for the Chairperson position saw three candidates vying in an initial round, where Dr. Kalila received 77 votes, Hon. Arthur Holder secured 93 votes, and Honourable Zainab Gimba of Nigeria garnered 71 votes. In the subsequent runoff, Dr. Kalila clinched the position with 109 votes against Hon. Holder's 108.

Dr. Kalila’s journey to this position began with a strong endorsement from the CPA Africa Region at the 53rd CPA Africa Regional Conference held in Tanzania earlier this year. In his acceptance speech, he expressed gratitude to Rt. Hon. Ms. Nelly B. K. Mutti, Speaker of the National Assembly of Zambia, who encouraged his candidacy and inspired him to represent Africa and uphold the Commonwealth’s values. Dr. Kalila pledged to advance equity and uphold Commonwealth principles throughout his term.

As Chairperson, Dr. Kalila will lead the CPA Executive Committee, which oversees and directs the Association's activities and policies. His duties will include serving as the spokesperson of the CPA on policy matters, presiding over Executive Committee meetings, and providing policy guidance to various subcommittees.

The National Assembly of Zambia continues to make significant contributions within the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. Notably, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mutti, was recently recognized as the 2023 CPA Parliamentarian of the Year.

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, founded in 1911, is a network of over 180 legislative bodies from across nine geographic regions of the Commonwealth. It provides a platform for parliamentarians and parliamentary staff to collaborate on shared issues and best practices, supporting parliamentary democracy across diverse nations.

And the Speaker of the Zambian National Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mutti and Zambia High Commissioner to Australia and New Zealand Dr. Elias Munshya congratulated Dr. Kalila on the victory.