South Africa’s Independent Online reports that Chilean president Michelle Bachelet criticised the decision by the US administration to nominate yet another American to head the World Bank as “grotesque”. South African president Thabo Mbeki is also quoted as saying at the International Monetary Conference (a gathering of the world’s top officials from private and central banks) on the weekend that “future appointments should be made using an open and transparent selection process with candidates not restricted by nationality.” Continue reading →

Lawrence MacDonald at the Center for Global Development has some insightful questions for Bob Zoellick. Among them (mine are the abridged versions): Will you oppose U.S. subsidies and the enforcemet of Intellectual Property Rights for lifesaving medicines? Will you go continue moving the Bank’s health sector towards Bush’s inane abstinence only policies? Continue reading →

Our friends at the Social Justice Committee Canada have set up a website, www.worldbankpresident.ca to formally make suggestions on who should succeed Wolfowitz. The poll’s results will be sent to the Canadian Finance Minister, who will be urged to make a nomination based on them. Continue reading →

After being one of the Vulcans running GWB bid for the 2000 White House race, Zoellick had been serving as policy director for the presidential campaign of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) , reports Chris Cillizza in his Politics Blog The Fix. It is mentioned that he would have been the candidate for the position of Secretary of State, should McCain win the POTUS position . Continue reading →

The International Trade Union Confederation’s general secretary Guy Ryder has said that the May 29 statement by the board “goes some way to allay the legitimate criticism of what have been unacceptable procedures for deciding who will lead the two main global financial institutions”.  Continue reading →