Forum Party

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The Forum for Democratic Reform was launched in May 1992 as a pressure group in Bulawayo, later reorganized as the Forum Party, lead by former Zimbabwean Chief Justice Enoch Dumbutshena.

Forums's agenda:

  • Cut government expenditure
    • Cabinet will be cut to 14
    • only be 1 Vice President
    • Deputy Ministers posts will be abolished
    • Governors will be cut from 8 to 5
    • the President’s entourage of 15+ cars will be cut (!)
    • state visits will be reduced dramatically
    • taxpayers money will not be used to fund the ZANU ruling party
  • Reduce the budget deficit and indigenise the economy
    • selling off parastatals and government’s shares in public companies to the people
    • mechanisms will be implemented to ensure that when shares are sold preference will be given to disadvantaged members of society including blacks, women the disabled and ex-combatants.
  • Improve the overall investment climate
    • dramatically reducing taxation
    • introducing a variety of new measures to make Zimbabwe more attractive to potential investors
    • bringing an end to statements and policies such as grabbing businesses.

The immediate political impact of both organizations was low, scoring only 6% of the vote in the 1995 general elections. Supporters were mainly urban middle class, both blacks and whites.

The Forum can be regarded as the first manifestation of a cross-racial opposition against Robert Mugabe's ruling ZANU party.