Ministers can't leave the board to decide. A number of people I've spoken to today think the Development Committee will announce today that they will leave the Wolfowitz decision to the World Bank board. Trevor Manuel, former Development Committee chair, is among many who have said there should be no rush to judgement.

But the The Moscow Times nails this argument. "It would be absurd to leave the decision to the bank's executive directors. These mid-level bureaucrats are not going to reach such a decision on their own. In practice, national capitals will make the choice, unless Wolfowitz himself takes it out of their hands."

Long-standing readers of this blog will remember that in February/March 2005 George Bush went over the heads not only of executive directors, but of development and finance ministers by personally phoning prime ministers including Tony Blair and Silvio Berlusconi to get their support for the Wolfowitz nomination.

The ministers only gather on World Bank business twice a year. The officials they delegate to do day to day Bank business in Washington can't make this call. Ministers should not leave for home until they have sorted this out and announced their decision.

[15.40 EST]

Alex Wilks ~ April 15, 2007

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