It’s hard to keep Pedro Kumamoto, Jalisco’s young independent legislator, out of the news for long.
The 27-year-old state congressman continued to break new ground this week, keeping a promise made during his campaign that he would forgo 70 percent of his salary as a state diputado to help set up a fund to support citizen initiatives. This week, he announced the start of the fund, named “Germina,” with 551,267 pesos that he has renounced from his salary since his election to the State Congress last year. Several private organizations have also expressed interest in contributing to the fund.
Kumamoto said projects most likely to be considered for grants from the fund should be focused on the “empowerment of citizens” rather than welfare or social “assistance.”
Civic organizations interested in tapping into the Fondo Germina should register their projects at www.fondogermina.mx before September 30.
The final decision on granting funds will be taken by a committee made up of “academics, experts and activists” in the first week of November.
In other news this week, Kumamoto has called for judges to put themselves up for election every three years, and be subject to the same postulation and financing rules as independent candidates.
He believes the reforms will end the designation of judges by the executive branch as “political prizes” and strengthen the separation of powers.
Kumamoto said independently elected judges would ensure there were “incentives” to prosecute and pass appropriate sentences on senior political figures who have transgressed the law.