(washingtonpost.com)
World Bank Board Approves Wolfowitz
By Paul Blustein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 31, 2005; 3:00 PM
The board of the World Bank unanimously approved Paul D. Wolfowitz
today as the bank's next president, heralding a new era of
conservative influence over the giant antipoverty institution.
The approval came two weeks after President Bush nominated Wolfowitz,
the deputy defense secretary who played a central role in advocating
and designing the invasion of Iraq. The move initially aroused shock
abroad, especially in European countries opposed to the Iraq war, and
speculation arose that some member nations of the bank would try to
block the nomination on the grounds that Wolfowitz would make the
institution an instrument of U.S. foreign policy. But talk of
opposition subsided as foreign officials grudgingly accepted
Wolfowitz's assurances that he would respect the bank's multilateral
nature and was not coming armed with a preset agenda for turning the
organization upside down.
In a statement issued after the board's action, Wolfowitz continued
to stress his willingness to listen to a wide range of views.
"Fortunately, I already know I will have a great deal of help from
the many people who are deeply committed to the mission of the World
Bank," he said, noting that he had met with all 24 board members,
flown to Europe to meet with top economic policymakers and spoken
with "dozens" of other officials.
He also extended an olive branch to people who have been among the
most uneasy about his appointment, including activist organizations
that often tangle with the bank over its policies in the developing
world. "I look forward now to deepening my understanding of the
challenges facing the bank through exchange [of] views with two key
groups: the civil society organizations whose advice and views have
become increasingly important in bank deliberations; and the
extraordinarily professional staff of the bank, who constitute the
richest body of expertise in the world on the problems of economic
development and poverty reduction," he said.
The installation of Wolfowitz as president, scheduled to take place
June 1, will put the Bush administration's stamp on the World Bank's
management much more firmly than before. The bank lends about $20
billion a year to developing countries, for projects ranging from
roads and ports to education and health systems, and in the process
it exercises great influence over those countries' policies because
of the conditions it sets for providing aid.
The United States traditionally gets to choose the bank's president,
but the current holder of the job, James D. Wolfensohn, was named by
President Clinton, first in 1995 and again in 2000. Wolfensohn, a
charismatic crusader against global poverty, has clashed often with
the Bush team, which has tended to view his style of management as
erratic and often wasteful of bank resources.
Wolfowitz has offered only broad suggestions about how he would run
the bank differently; in interviews and statements, he has emphasized
his admiration for much of what Wolfensohn accomplished, particularly
the bank's focus on reducing corruption. In his statement today
Wolfowitz said that Wolfensohn's "commitment to the bank's mission
will be a hard act to follow and I will be counting on his continued
advice and support."
Still, many bank insiders and observers expect him to shift the
bank's direction in important ways, reflecting the complaints that
administration officials have expressed about its shortcomings.
The administration has been eager to see the bank improve the way it
monitors and holds countries accountable for their use of its funds.
It also wants more bank aid for very poor countries to be provided in
the form of grants rather than loans, on the theory that all too
often the bank ends up lending to impoverished nations just so they
can pay back previous loans.
Because of the administration's recent emphasis on spreading
democracy, especially in the Middle East, much speculation has arisen
that Wolfowitz will use the bank's clout to prod governments to
implement democratic reforms. He has sought to quash talk of a
dramatic change in policy by stressing that he believes the bank
should focus on economic development and alleviating poverty. But
development experts who know him well expect him to place particular
importance on encouraging the development of solid political
institutions and the rule of law.
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