More networking than nous. The Times of London gives a run-down of the candidates for World Bank president who it believes can restore the intellectual rigour squandered by James Wolfensohn's habit of pandering to "every single-issue protest group in sight."

While Jim Leach is a "dullard" and Carly Fiorina a "showy" lightweight, Wolfowitz is "brilliant and still the favourite," and John Taylor - praised for opposing the International Finance Facility - and Kenneth Rogoff would offer solid management. more...

David Steven ~ March 04, 2005

Like Liechtenstein. "By treating the [World Bank presidency] as if it's an ambassadorship to Liechtenstein," the New York Times writes, "we fail to consider the most highly qualified candidates and too easily fall into the trap of using the bank as a tool of American policy."

As examples of non-US nationals who are well qualified for the job, it mentions Gordon Brown, Trevor Manuel and Kemal Dervis (names you read here first), while adding Ernesto Zedillo, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, and Leszek Balcerowicz to the pot. more...

David Steven ~ February 20, 2005

Democracy not the point. Assistant Pol-Sci Prof, Vikash Yadav links to worldbankpresident.org, before taking on the conventional wisdom that we need a more democratic presidential selection process.

Professor Yadav's argument in a nutshell: (i) the Bank is not meant to democratic; (ii) its main priority must be to maintain creditor confidence; (iii) this means keeping the US on board. more...

David Steven ~ January 19, 2005

Bush-Clinton love-in. Bush 43 and Clinton 42 are said to be getting awful close, so perhaps the Clinton for the Bank rumours are not quite as far-fetched as they seem...

David Steven ~ January 10, 2005

Zoellick no longer Bank favourite. It won't be Zoellick, according to the Nelson Report, an insiders' briefing that circulates around Washington (not online), but Bill Clinton may be worth an outside bet!

"The Bob Zoellick for Deputy Secretary of State under Condi Rice rumor is true, bearing in mind that the gods can always change their minds," Chris Nelson writes. more...

David Steven ~ January 06, 2005

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