Forum for Restoration of Democracy (Tanzania)

The Forum for Restoration of Democracy (Tanzania), often referred to as FORD (Tanzania), was a short-lived political pressure group in Tanzania during the late 1980s and early 1990s. It advocated for multi-party democracy and challenged the dominance of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party.

FORD (Tanzania) emerged as part of a broader wave of pro-democracy movements across Africa in the wake of the Cold War. Its activities included public rallies, the dissemination of information advocating for political reform, and lobbying efforts aimed at influencing government policy. Key figures associated with FORD (Tanzania) included prominent intellectuals, lawyers, and activists.

While FORD (Tanzania) itself did not evolve into a formal political party, its activities contributed significantly to the broader political discourse surrounding democratization in Tanzania. It played a role in increasing public awareness of the need for political pluralism and pressuring the CCM government to consider reforms. Tanzania officially transitioned to a multi-party system in 1992. The impact of FORD (Tanzania) is thus seen in its contribution to creating the environment that allowed for this transition, even though it ultimately dissolved as other, more formalized political parties emerged.