Zoo Station

Yesterday, I came across a website that examines the candidates for the post of the President of the World Bank and the intrigues surrounding the selection process called Worldbankpresident.org. I know this seems like a highly esoteric subject, but this is the sort of decision that has the potential to affect large numbers of people living in the developing world. Yet, the developing world has practically no say in the selection process. Though there are names like Jeff Sachs, Larry Summers and Anne Krueger who have prior experience working on issues relating to the developing world on that list, the rest of the candidates reads like a roster of American political apointees.

At least two of them can now be ruled out. Zoellick is now deputy to Condi Rice while Stan Fischer is the new governor of the Central Bank of Israel. I am not sure Bush would be that keen on Powell or Clinton either given the star power they would bring to the job.