MEXICO CITY, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Newly inaugurated Mexican President Felipe Calderon has decided to cut his own salary, slashing his paycheck by 10 percent.
The center-right Calderon also announced that his Cabinet and other high-ranking Mexican officials would have their salaries cut by 10 percent, El Universal reported Monday.
He said the move was part of the new administrations commitment to cut government spending in some areas and that the money saved would be used for social programs.
Mexican President Vicente Fox received $245,000 in salary last year. The amount to be paid to the new president has not been determined, the BBC said.
The new Mexican leader assumed office amid a deep divide between his supporters and opponents in the Congress. Hours before his recent inauguration, opposition lawmakers traded punches with Calderon backers.
The president defeated left-wing candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in July by one-half of 1 percent, prompting Obrabor and supporters to accuse Calderon of election fraud.
