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It's been great, but we're putting this blog on hold. I've enjoyed blogging about the World Bank president contest, and we've made much more of an impact than I'd expected, despite the appalling result. But now the process has concluded, we're stopping. I think we helped raise awareness about the medieval and opaque process of selecting the Bank president, and about the self-interested timidity of other countries to challenge the U.S. on this. Neither David – based in rural England - nor I – based in urban Belgium - went anywhere near Washington between January and mid-April. So it was surprising and exciting to be treated as experts on the totally Washington-centred Bank president succession. We got calls and e-mails from journalists, from senior European officials, from Bank staff, and from activists all based in the U.S. capital. Thanks to all of you who wrote in with tips, comments, and encouragement. Perhaps most amazing was when at the end of January Wolfensohn announced to a phalanx of Bank staff that he had taken a print-out of this website to his meeting with US Treasury Secretary Snow and that if Bank staffers wanted to know what was going on with the selection of his successor they should check out this site. Having helped raise debate about the process and, I believe, helped prevent the Europeans from folding immediately after the Wolfowitz nomination in March, we’ve decided to call it a day. The political moment is passed and the outcome is known. And while there is certainly lots of work to do to monitor what Wolfowitz does in office, that burden will be shared among the different IFI-watching groups, reporters, executive directors etc etc. My organisation will play its part – with its European constituency – in galvanising European governments to be more active and principled on the board than they were during the presidency contest. And – with our colleagues worldwide represented in the IFIwatchnet initiative we’ll continue to use the power of the web to showcase non-mainstream opinions on what the IFIs are doing. It's quite possible that an ongoing IFI-watching blog may get going and if it does we'll announce it here. We'll keep the site up - as a record of the 2005 Bank president selection process and who said what about it. Students of development finance and global governance may find it useful. And if Wolfowitz does something especially egregious at the Bank we may revive this blog to follow the commentary and reaction. Alex Wilks ~ April 28, 2005
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"Keep track of the rumored candidates, power plays and buzz." Next & Previous « Topsy turvy logic. | HOME | Where you heard it first » Categories "Offering the rumors and gossip usually reserved for Washington's bars and back rooms." WBpresident.org in the news Wolfowitz-Riza-Cleveland: New Evil-doing? "Accomplished and intelligent… sifts through the speculation and brings you the latest news." Recent Rumours Zoellick bearhug photo. Links The World Bank Search this site Archive
May 2007 
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