The race for the presidency of the Bretton Woods institution(World Bank) had been narrowed down to two candidates - Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and Dr. Jim Yong Kim, a Korean-American Physician and United States’ nominee - after the former Colombian finance minister, Jose Antonio Ocampo, withdrew his candidacy at the weekend. In fact, Ocampo had thrown his weight behind the Nigerian finance minister, describing her as an "excellent candidate". Zoellick’s tenure expires on June 30.
Observers had been curious that Kim had not even appeared on any major American interview. It had been suggested that his handlers were worried that he might make a slip, which would bring the issue of merit to the fore once again.
“That is why they have resulted to issuing press releases about his visits to different parts of the world,” one of them noted.
However, Okonjo-Iweala, who had also served as managing director of the multilateral institution, has the support of other emerging economies.
Okonjo-Iweala when interviewed by the World Bank board last week promised to tackle global poverty and address issues of job creation if elected.
She also advised the US to end the long tradition of an American always heading the Bretton Woods institution, saying that the decision on who leads the global development institution should go to the candidate with the best skills for the job.
The finance minister had also dismissed the argument by some US politicians that the American country would stop financing the World Bank if a non-American took the reins of the institution. She said she would use her "persuasive powers" to convince Congress to keep funds flowing to the World Bank.
On his part, Kim, had during the interview session with the board of directors of the bank, said that he would not hesitate to question the status quo and do his best to help the world's poorest countries.
Kim had said: “I would bring rigour; objectivity and a focus on data that help all of us define and achieve our shared vision of securing strong economic growth and delivering greater opportunity for the world's poor.”
The contest is now between Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and the United State of America and not Jim Yong Kim who is seen as not only unqualified but also not a match for Okonjo-Iweala. But knowing how the system is Okonjo-Iweala know she has already lost and has come out to say that Jim Yung Kim is the next president of the World Bank because the method of selection which is not based on merit but by percentage own. A successor to the out-going President of the World Bank, Mr. Robert Zoellick, will emerge Monday between 5pm and 7pm (12 noon and 2pm Washington DC time), when the results will be announced.
Observers had been curious that Kim had not even appeared on any major American interview. It had been suggested that his handlers were worried that he might make a slip, which would bring the issue of merit to the fore once again.
“That is why they have resulted to issuing press releases about his visits to different parts of the world,” one of them noted.
However, Okonjo-Iweala, who had also served as managing director of the multilateral institution, has the support of other emerging economies.
Okonjo-Iweala when interviewed by the World Bank board last week promised to tackle global poverty and address issues of job creation if elected.
She also advised the US to end the long tradition of an American always heading the Bretton Woods institution, saying that the decision on who leads the global development institution should go to the candidate with the best skills for the job.
The finance minister had also dismissed the argument by some US politicians that the American country would stop financing the World Bank if a non-American took the reins of the institution. She said she would use her "persuasive powers" to convince Congress to keep funds flowing to the World Bank.
On his part, Kim, had during the interview session with the board of directors of the bank, said that he would not hesitate to question the status quo and do his best to help the world's poorest countries.
Kim had said: “I would bring rigour; objectivity and a focus on data that help all of us define and achieve our shared vision of securing strong economic growth and delivering greater opportunity for the world's poor.”
The contest is now between Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and the United State of America and not Jim Yong Kim who is seen as not only unqualified but also not a match for Okonjo-Iweala. But knowing how the system is Okonjo-Iweala know she has already lost and has come out to say that Jim Yung Kim is the next president of the World Bank because the method of selection which is not based on merit but by percentage own. A successor to the out-going President of the World Bank, Mr. Robert Zoellick, will emerge Monday between 5pm and 7pm (12 noon and 2pm Washington DC time), when the results will be announced.
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