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 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.
