Writing in Kenya’s The Nation, Makau Mutua makes some compelling points. Slamming European hypocrisy, the writer calls for an end to Western control of the World Bank and IMF and a set of internal governance reforms that goes far beyond the leadership selection. Mutua, who is a professor and also chairs Kenya’s Human Rights Commission says:
“Now the Europeans want to participate in picking the President of the World Bank while retaining their control over the choice of the head of the IMF. It is shocking that instead of arguing for a democratic process of choosing the two heads – which would include all members of the Bank and the IMF – they see global governance simply as a prerogative of themselves and the Americans.
That is why their quest for more power against the Americans at the World Bank is equally hypocritical. The departure of Mr Wolfowitz should not simply lead to a European scramble for power. It must be a time to end the obsolete hegemony of the West at all Bretton Woods institutions.”