Political Transparency: One Municipality Bucks Trends with Civic Engagement Duncan Tucker - Al Jazeera
go to original December 23, 2013

Tlajomulco's mayor believes economic performance can be improved by enhancing transparency. (AFP)

TLAJOMULCO DE ZUNIGA, Mexico - Mexican politics has long been undermined by a lack of trust and transparency, with the public holding little faith in officials notorious for indulging in acts of corruption. But in one small corner of the country, a remarkable transformation has taken place in the last four years - one that could provide a model for building a more open and democratic society.

In 2009 the municipality of Tlajomulco de Zuniga had one of the least accountable governments in Mexico. Now, governed by the liberal Citizens’ Movement, it boasts the most transparent administration in the country, according to Cimtra, a nonprofit accountability watchdog coalition.

By adopting a number of innovative and progressive policies, Mayor Ismael del Toro and his predecessor Enrique Alfaro have won the confidence of their constituents and succeeded in engaging them in the local political process. A considerable achievement given that the political parties, local and state police forces and city governments are considered the least trustworthy of 22 public institutions, according to a 2012 survey by Parametria, a Mexican pollster and market research firm.

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