The White House Kingmakers. Three intriguing - and potentially important - nuggets reach us that throw a little light on the process for selecting the next World Bank president.

First: three White House staffers are thought to be running the candidate selection process. Second: the US Treasury is said to be out of the loop - possibly because of John Taylor's interest in the job. And third: George Bush is believed to want to announce a candidate by the end of February.

The selection panel, charged with compiling a list of possible candidates, comprises:

• Deputy Assistant to the President for International Economic Affairs and Deputy National Security Advisor, Faryar Shirzad;
  
• Reuben Jeffery III [correction], who is Senior Director for International Economic Affairs at the National Security Council, and
  
• Kristin Forbes , the youngest ever member of the Council of Economic Advisers.

Shirzad (pic) is an international trade attorney, who left private practice to take a succession of US government trade jobs. His last post was working for Condi Rice as Senior Director for International Economic Affairs - now he's number 3 to Rice's replacement as National Security Adviser, Stephen Hadley.

Jeffery reports to Shirzad at the National Security Council. He is a Stanford Law grad, who ran Goldman Sach's French arm, before leading for the President on the post-911 reconstruction of NYC.

He then worked as a US-based deputy to Paul Bremer, during Bremer's term running Iraq. His role: "someone senior in Washington who could navigate the bureaucracy [for Bremer] and deal with Capitol Hill." Jeffrey, a prominent Republican contributor, is said to be "conservative but pragmatic".

Forbes (pic), meanwhile, brings some development expertise to the job. She has worked at the World Bank ("so exciting"), Morgan Stanley and US Treasury, and is currently on secondment to the Council of Economic Advisers from the MIT-Sloan School of Management. She's an international finance and development specialist - her work on contagion has been published by the Bank. A Young Global Leader, she's a Davos regular, giving a speech on Argentina there last week.

We're leading the pack on this story - you won't find coverage, as yet, elsewhere in the media. Confirmation has been hard to come by. Forbes is not returning calls, while the White House has not yet decided whether it is safe to talk to us.

Activists, however, are bristling. Manish Bapna, director of the Bank Information Center, comments:

"We have been told that these White House staff at the Council of Economic Affairs and the National Security Council are drawing up the shortlist and making a recommendation for the next Bank President. This is strictly a White House appointment and is being seen through a security/foreign policy lens."

Correction: An earlier version of this article put Robert G. Joseph, another NSC alumnus, on the panel, in Reuben Jeffery's place. Sorry for the mistake.

"Keep track of the rumored candidates, power plays and buzz."
The Washington Post

Next & Previous

« Taylor moves on. | HOME | Taylor getting close? »

Categories

"Offering the rumors and gossip usually reserved for Washington's bars and back rooms."
Reuters

WBpresident.org in the news

Wolfowitz-Riza-Cleveland: New Evil-doing?
Wolfowitz's right hand man jumps ship.
Caught in the World Bank storm.
We're in the papers! worldbankpresident.org media mentions.
Hot blogging on the World Bank president.
Media contacts.
Card wants Snow.
New candidate, French views.
An £8200 job ad.
Bank chief's parting shots.

"Accomplished and intelligent… sifts through the speculation and brings you the latest news."
The Guardian

Recent Rumours

Zoellick bearhug photo.
Like old times: Zoellick and Lamy
Another middle aged white American for the World Bank !
Globe and Mail: Euros Already Agreed not to Raise Questions
Official: Zoellick according to AP.
It's (un)Official: Zoellick
Zoellick will get the nod from Germany.
An opportunity at the World Bank
UPI: Wolfowitz Replacement This Week
UK involvement in the Foundation for the Future.

Links

The World Bank
Bretton Woods Project
Eurodad
IFIwatchnet

Search this site

Archive

May 2007
April 2007
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005