Bolivian president-elect takes pay cut

Evo Morales, who won the recent presidential election, said late on Tuesday: "This is a democratic revolution and we will answer the Bolivian people's call.

"It's a question of sharing the country's situation among us all."

Morales, who has vowed to make multinationals pay more into the national economy and to raise Bolivia from its status as one of Latin America's poorest nations, won an 18 December election and will be inaugurated on 22 January.

The 46-year-old coca grower and Aymara Indian said his future salary of about $3600 a month would be slashed to $1800.

Cabinet ministers and all 157 members of Morales' Movement to Socialism party elected to Congress will also take a 50% pay cut, Morales said, adding that the salaries of 157 substitute congressmen - who take over the duties of lawmakers when they are absent - will be reduced to zero.

Easing businessmen's fears

Morales also seemed to gain crucial support from Bolivia's powerful business and civic leaders on Tuesday with a conciliatory meeting calculated to overcome widespread fears about the fiery former street activist's economic policies.

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