Wolfowitz Absent As World Bank Board Decides Fate
Paul Wolfowitz failed to appear at a high-profile World Bank meeting yesterday, sparking rumours that he was on the verge of quitting as president.
No explanation was offered for Mr Wolfowitz's absence from the conference in Washington, on the day when the bank's governing board was meeting to discuss the controversy over the president's ordering of promotions and pay rises for his partner, Shaha Riza.
The board, made up of 24 representatives of the bank's member countries, had cleared its agenda to deal with the breach of the bank's ethical rules by Mr Wolfowitz.
The former Pentagon second-in-command, a leading architect of the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, has been embroiled in the scandal for the last two weeks, leading to calls for his resignation from bank staff and aid agencies, as well as rumbles of discontent from the bank's European member states.
On Wednesday the White House again offered only a tepid endorsement to the man appointed to the job by President George Bush in 2005.
"As we've said before, the president has confidence in Paul Wolfowitz," Dana Perino, the White House press secretary, said. But when asked if that meant the White House would abide by whatever decision was made by the World Bank board, she replied: "Wolfowitz has said he would abide by what the board said."
European development ministers - including Britain's Hilary Benn - made it clear at the weekend that they thought Mr Wolfowitz's continued presence was damaging for the institution. They have been keeping up the pressure since the weekend spring meetings of the Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
"Discussions have been going on at a high level between European states on what to do. We are monitoring the situation very closely", said one European official.
Sources in Europe said they were willing to play a "long game", preferring to see Mr Wolfowitz resign rather than force the issue to a vote of the Bank's board, where the US might use its veto to prevent Mr Bush's appointment from being removed.
The episode that led to the current row took place in 2005, when Mr Wolfowitz overruled bank staff to demand a 46% pay increase and a promotion for Ms Riza when she was moved outside the bank to avoid rules forbidding partners from working together.
Ms Riza was seconded to the US state department, where she was paid more than Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state.
No explanation was offered for Mr Wolfowitz's absence from the conference in Washington, on the day when the bank's governing board was meeting to discuss the controversy over the president's ordering of promotions and pay rises for his partner, Shaha Riza.
The board, made up of 24 representatives of the bank's member countries, had cleared its agenda to deal with the breach of the bank's ethical rules by Mr Wolfowitz.
The former Pentagon second-in-command, a leading architect of the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, has been embroiled in the scandal for the last two weeks, leading to calls for his resignation from bank staff and aid agencies, as well as rumbles of discontent from the bank's European member states.
On Wednesday the White House again offered only a tepid endorsement to the man appointed to the job by President George Bush in 2005.
"As we've said before, the president has confidence in Paul Wolfowitz," Dana Perino, the White House press secretary, said. But when asked if that meant the White House would abide by whatever decision was made by the World Bank board, she replied: "Wolfowitz has said he would abide by what the board said."
European development ministers - including Britain's Hilary Benn - made it clear at the weekend that they thought Mr Wolfowitz's continued presence was damaging for the institution. They have been keeping up the pressure since the weekend spring meetings of the Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
"Discussions have been going on at a high level between European states on what to do. We are monitoring the situation very closely", said one European official.
Sources in Europe said they were willing to play a "long game", preferring to see Mr Wolfowitz resign rather than force the issue to a vote of the Bank's board, where the US might use its veto to prevent Mr Bush's appointment from being removed.
The episode that led to the current row took place in 2005, when Mr Wolfowitz overruled bank staff to demand a 46% pay increase and a promotion for Ms Riza when she was moved outside the bank to avoid rules forbidding partners from working together.
Ms Riza was seconded to the US state department, where she was paid more than Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state.
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