To: European governments and World Bank directors We the undersigned wish to express our firm opposition to the nomination of Paul Wolfowitz as president of the World Bank. Who runs the World Bank is a vital question which affects the future of international efforts towards poverty eradication. Mr. Wolfowitz lacks the credentials to occupy this key position. Throughout his career, he has shown virtually no interest in or understanding of poverty eradication, sustainable development, environmental protection, local community empowerment, food security or human rights. Wolfowitz has been a key architect of the US war on Iraq and a proponent of the Bush administration\'s unilateral foreign policy. He has consistently advocated the imposition of US will over other countries and appears ready to use whatever means necessary--whether military force or financial arm-twisting--to implement the current US administration\'s political agenda. We challenge this outrageous nomination and the undemocratic process by which the US government exercises unilateral power in selecting the World Bank president. Collectively, European countries are the World Bank\'s biggest contributors and form the largest bloc of shareholders. It is time for Europe to assert its authority, following the precedent set by the US in 2000 when it vetoed a European candidate for the IMF position. The World Bank\'s Board of Executive Directors will be meeting soon to vote on Wolfowitz\' nomination. Together the European Directors have enough voting power to block the confirmation. We call on European governments to reject Mr. Wolfowitz and open the selection process to more suitable candidates.

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