La Paz, Bolivia ? President Evo Morales cut his salary by more than half and declared no Cabinet minister can collect a higher wage than his own, with the savings to be used to hire more public school teachers.

The move followed a campaign pledge to tackle political corruption and restore honesty to the government of South America’s poorest country.

Five days into his leftist government, Morales announced Thursday his salary would be $1,875 a month – a 57 percent cut from the previous president’s earnings – and that his Cabinet also would have their salaries capped at that figure.

“I ask for (the ministers’) understanding and efforts to try to meet this demand, not for Evo but for the people,” Morales said.

He said the savings would be used to hire more teachers, adding, “We need 6,000 new teachers and there is only money for 2,200.”

Morales’ predecessor earned $4,362 a month. The yearly savings of more than $31,340 on the president’s income – including expenses and Christmas bonuses – is about enough in Bolivia to rent an upper-middle class apartment, buy one new Ford Focus or pay the annual salaries of 10 veteran teachers.

Street protests by teachers, miners, and Indians ousted two of Morales’ predecessors since 2003, uprisings fueled by indignation against wealthy elites.

In December, voters elected Morales by a landslide after he promised to tackle corruption and poverty.