WASHINGTON -- The World Bank's chief economist on Tuesday advocated searching a global pool of candidates for a successor to Paul Wolfowitz, who left the bank's top post in a storm of controversy over a pay raise for his companion.
Francois Bourguignon, also the bank's head of development economics, told CNBC television in an interview that a global pool would ensure the best candidates for the bank and its sister organization, the International Monetary Fund.
"I think it would be fair to say that if we want to recruit the best people for any institution, whether the Fund, whether the Bank, whether other international institutions, we should look into a global pool, rather than restrict the pool to only Europe, only the United States and only some other country," he said.
Traditionally, the United States has chosen the head of the World Bank, while Europe has chosen the head of the IMF. Several World Bank shareholder countries and some U.S. lawmakers have urged President George W. Bush to also consider non-Americans for the job.
White House spokesman Tony Snow said Bush may announce a World Bank head this week to replace Wolfowitz, who is leaving June 30.
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Some Republican sources have said Robert Zoellick, a former U.S. trade representative and deputy secretary of state, was the strongest candidate.
Bourguignon said Zoellick had the credentials to head the World Bank, which requires a candidate with good development experience, knowledge of financing issues and the ability to manage a huge organization with 10,000 employees.
"Certainly Bob Zoellick has good experience in development because he had been dealing with European countries for quite some time when he was trade negotiator for the U.S. and he had negotiated the Doha round. Certainly his experience now in Goldman Sachs is a plus," Bourguignon said.
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