By Talent Gondo|  The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the Commission, Federica Mogherini has announced that the European Union (EU) would deploy an EU Electoral Observation Mission to Zimbabwe for the upcoming harmonised elections.

Mogherini announced this when she met Zimbabwe’s Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Sibusiso Busi Moyo in Brussels, Belgium.

She emphasised the importance of having a legal framework which promotes  freedom of expression, freedom of the media and freedom of assembly among others as the country heads towards the forthcoming polls.

Mogherini’s announcement comes after the EU sent a nine member election exploratory team to Zimbabwe in March 2018 to assess the country’ s pre election environment.

The team was led by the bloc’s Head of Democracy and Support Unit, Mr Patrick Costello and they met with various stakeholders, including opposition parties and civic society.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa, unlike his predecessor, Robert Mugabe is on record inviting the international community to come and observe this year’s harmonised elections pledging that his administration will guarantee a free, fair, credible and transparent election.

Last week, Retired Brigadier and Foreign Affairs minister, Moyo said President Mnangagwa would hand over power to the winner in the event that he lost the forthcoming elections.