Promoting citizen participation in the legislative process is a key part of the work of Jalisco Congressman Pedro Kumamoto, the 26-year-old college graduate who stunned the political establishment with his landmark victory as an independent candidate in the June 2015 state elections.
As chairman of the state legislature’s Citizen Participation Committee, he has overseen the introduction of reforms that will give citizens the right to vote on what their taxes are spent on, and the means to oust local officials – even the governor – if there is sufficient dissatisfaction with their job performance. In addition, Kumamoto has been busy as a conduit, trying to channel citizen proposals through to the floor of the state congress as part of the Haz Tu Ley (Make Your Own Law) initiative. One idea that recently saw the light of day, proposed by the Centro de Atención al Migrante (Migrants Attention Center), was able to strengthen the rights of migrants who are passing through the state on their way north. Another initiative, presented this week by the Guadalajara Chamber of Commerce, seeks to regulate the “misuse” of official vehicles by public servants.