WASHINGTON, May 16, 2007 (AFP) - World Bank directors were meeting today to discuss the fate of president Paul Wolfowitz amid reports a compromise deal had been reached to pave the way for his resignation over a damaging favoritism scandal... ABC News reported, citing bank officials, that Wolfowitz was near an agreement to resign, perhaps as early as Wednesday, in a face-saving compromise deal. See comments for full story
May 16 2007-World Bank officials say the bank's board is completing an "exit strategy" that will allow World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz to resign this afternoon and "still save some face"... The decision is likely today, officials say, because Wolfowitz had been scheduled to leave tonight for a European trip.
BERLIN, May 16 (Reuters) - Germany on Wednesday urged World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz to resign his post and said he would not be welcome at an Africa forum the bank is holding next week in Berlin should he refuse to go.
"He would do the bank and himself a great service if he resigned," German Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, one of Wolfowitz's strongest critics, told reporters. "It would be the best thing for all concerned."
Should he fail to give up his post, she advised him not to take part in a two-day World Bank forum on development aid for Africa which starts Monday in the German capital.
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Battle Escalates: "Letting him stay is not an option'' - New York Times
New York Times-Wolfowitz Escalates Battle to Stay at Bank
Paul D. Wolfowitz accused the bank's board on Wednesday of treating him ''shabbily and unfairly,'' and appealed for more time to defend himself against allegations of favoritism and other matters.
But the board was described as puzzled and put off by Mr. Wolfowitz's decision, disclosed this week, to bring in Mr. Bennett, who is known as a litigator but also as someone who can make a deal in situations that seem beyond compromise.
A top European official involved in setting bank policy said there could be a deal avoiding a censure of Mr. Wolfowitz but that it had to involve Mr. Wolfowitz leaving the bank.
''There are a lot of people at the bank asking, 'What is Wolfowitz thinking?' '' the official said. ''It just looks like Wolfowitz is ramping up the pressure. I think the bank directors are looking for a deal to avoid a confrontation. But he's got to go as part of it. Letting him stay is not an option.''
Financial Times-Wolfowitz's late bid to regain initiative
Most non-US directors will probably regard any finding that Mr Wolfowitz's handling of the Riza secondment broke bank codes of conduct or ethics as sufficient to establish that his credibility is damaged beyond repair. They will also insist that the ultimate judgment about whether Mr Wolfowitz should stay or go be grounded on the broader question of whether he has the moral authority and support he needs to be effective.
Le Monde, France - Les Européens hésitent à demander le départ de Paul Wolfowitz
L'entêtement du président de la Banque mondiale irrite à Bruxelles et dans les capitales européennes, où l'on ne veut pas donner le sentiment d'attaquer l'administration américaine.
Son entêtement embarrasse les gouvernements européens, qui hésitent à exiger son départ. Après Londres et Berlin, le gouvernement français a rappelé que l'institution devait exercer ses missions dans des conditions " irréprochables d'un point de vue éthique "… Louis Michel, le commissaire européen chargé du développement, s'inquiète des conséquences de cette crise sur l'activité de la Banque mondiale. "
Cette affaire révèle surtout l'intensité de la bataille interne entre M. Wolfowitz et le personnel : si elle se prolonge ou si elle ne débouche pas sur une clarification, cela va handicaper l'institution ", dit-on dans l'entourage de M. Michel.
Spiegel, Germany - Wolfowitz-Affäre - Weltbank wollte Klimawandel totschweigen
Neue Vorwürfe gegen Weltbank-Chef Wolfowitz: Einer seiner Vertrauten soll massiv in die Arbeit eines Wissenschaftlers eingegriffen haben. Im Umweltbericht der Weltbank sollten die Folgen des Klimawandels heruntergespielt werden.
Washington - Die Vorwürfe richten sich gegen einen der beiden Stellvertreter Paul Wolfowitz', Juan José Daboub. Er soll versucht haben, in einem der wichtigsten Umweltberichte der Weltbank die Aussagen über den Klimawandel zu verwässern. Das sagte der oberste Wissenschaftler der Weltbank, Robert Watson, der "Financial Times".
Daboub, früher konservativer Finanzminister von El Salvador, ist von Wolfowitz zur Weltbank geholt worden. Er steht bereits in der Kritik, weil er in die Strategie der Bank zur Familienplanung in Madagaskar eingegriffen haben soll.
Ekstrabladet, Denmark - Danish dollars to corruption
Denmark is involved in the sex and corruption scandal which is developing around World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz. 12 millions of Danish taxpayers money ($2 million) are stranded in an international foundation with the ambitious name 'Foundation for the future' which has as its commendable aim to 'support independent CSO and democracy projects' in the Middle East and North Africa. In reality, we are talking about a ghost office, which hasn't paid out a dime since the start up in 2005, has no telephone, no official address, and has only organized 4 meetings. The foundation is run by Paul Wolfowitz' girlfriend, Tunisian born Shaha Riza, who's also the only employee in the office.
Financial Times
World Bank letter Signators
April 22 2007
Gautam Kaji, former Managing Director
Peter Woicke, former Managing Director and EVP
Shengman Zhang, former Managing Director
Roberto Danino, former senior VP and general counsel
Gary Perlin, former Senior VP and CFO
Jean-Louis Sarbib, former senior VP
Shahid Javed Burki, former VP
Cesare Calari, former VP
David de Ferranti, former VP
Ian Goldin, former VP
Ian Johnson, former VP
Geoffrey Lamb, former VP
Johannes Linn, former VP
Callisto Madavo, former VP
Gobind Nankani, former VP
Christiaan Poortman, former VP
Jean-François Rischard, former VP
Jo Ritzen, former VP
Richard Stern, former VP
John Wilton, former VP
Michael Barth, former Director
Amar Bhattacharya, former Senior Adviser
Gerard Caprio, former Director
Michael Carter, former Director
Dennis de Tray, former Director
Paula Donovan, former Director
Marisa Fernandez-Palacios, former Director
Charles Griffin, former Director
Jean-Philippe Halphen, former Director
Ann Hamilton, former Director
Paul Isenman, former Director
Homi Kharas, former Regional chief economist
Harinder Kohli, former Director
Olivier Lafourcade, former Director
Philippe Liétard, former Director
Serge Michailof, former Direector
Bernard Pasquier, former Director
Manuel Penalver Quesada, former Director
Enrique Rueda-Sabater, former Director
Alexander Shakow, former Director
Karl Voltaire, former Director
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Heat on Wolfowitz as World Bank directors meet
Jitendra Joshi April 19 2007
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Embattled president Paul Wolfowitz looked more isolated than ever Thursday as directors met to debate his fate amid the rumblings of a civil war among senior staff...
..."It's not about management style. It's not about interaction with staff," the source said on condition of anonymity.
"There was an exasperation that was conveyed to Wolfowitz: what part of 'resign' don't you understand?"
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