Zimbabwe is committed to providing free, transparent and credible elections next month, according to a statement on Monday by Minister of foreign affairs and international trade Fredrick Shava.
Shava said the upcoming elections will take place under new electoral boundaries outlined by President Emmerson Mnangagwa back in February.
The minister said the elections are crucial to Zimbabwe and the world in terms of the country's engagement, re-engagement and affirmation agenda.
"All observer missions and diplomatic missions are welcome to observe the elections, and I wish to underscore that you are free to make your observations and recommendations in an impartial manner," Shava stated.
Furthermore, the minister of justice, legal and parliamentary affairs, Ziyambi Ziyambi, said an updated voter's roll is now ready, revealing 6.6 million people have registered to vote in 11,501 polling stations due to be set up throughout the country.
Whereas the deputy minister of information, publicity and broadcasting services, Kindness Paradz, said that several repressive media laws had been repealed, liberalising the media environment.
"This is the first election to be held under a reconfigured and improved media environment since independence 43 years ago. In the previous elections, both local and international observers have been complaining about a shrinking media landscape. That narrative which had become a weapon to criticise us, will no longer be necessary this time around," Paradza commented.
"We have since opened up the airwaves; we go into these elections with an additional six new national, commercial television stations which are currently broadcasting and are ready to deploy crews to provide maximum coverage during these elections."
The elections are taking place on 23rd August, and although the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has approved 12 candidates, the contest will likely be between incumbent Emmerson Mnangagwa, from the governing Zanu-PF party and opposition leader Nelson Chamisa, from the Citizen's Coalition for Change (CCC).