Mexican president-elect pledges to cut his own salary

Mexican President-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador is planning to cut his salary. 

López Obrador told reporters on Sunday that he intends to earn less than half of what Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto makes when he takes office in December, according to The Associated Press.

{mosads}”What we want is for the budget to reach everybody,” he said.

López Obrador later added that his monthly salary will be 108,000 pesos a month, which is the equivalent of roughly $5,700, according to the AP. The news service added that he also said that no public official will be allowed to make more than he does during his six-year term. 

López Obrador also said he’d like to cut his salary further, but that he doesn’t want to cause resentment from future Cabinet members. 

The transition team said that Peña Nieto currently makes 270,000 pesos a month, according to AP. 

López Obrador also talked about campaign promises over the weekend, reaffirming his desire to cut back on taxpayer-funded perks for high-level government officials, according to the AP report. 

He also said he’d work to stem corruption. The news service notes that Mexico is ranked 135th in Transparency International’s 2017 Corruption Perception Index. 

The comments from López Obrador come only weeks after he beat the candidate representing the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party to become Mexico’s next president. His win comes amid growing discontent over the country’s rampant crime and corruption.