Change needed in how World Bank head chosen-survey

WASHINGTON, May 25 (Reuters) About 85 per cent of participants of an online survey disagree or strongly disagree with the process of selecting the head of the World Bank, in which the United States picks a single American candidate.

Initial findings of the survey by the Washington-based Center for Global Development (CGD) think tank also found that most agree or strongly agree that the choice of a candidate should be based on qualifications, rather than nationality.

While the survey has not officially closed, it drew 350 respondents in the first 48 hours, the CGD said.

The survey was launched on Tuesday, days after the resignation last week of Paul Wolfowitz, a former deputy US defense secretary, over an ethics scandal involving his role in a high-paying promotion for his bank-employed companion.

In an informal agreement with Europe, the United States, the bank's largest shareholder, has selected the head of the World Bank since the institution's establishment six decades ago. Its sister organization, the International Monetary Fund, has always been led by a European.

The tradition has long been questioned by development experts and some countries who want the process to be more transparent and reflect the interests of all of the World Bank's 185 member countries.

Among qualifications needed for the job, most respondents of the CGD survey thought experience in banking and finance were somewhat important, while knowledge of development issues, effective management skills, experience in international organizations, and political and diplomatic exposure were very important.

Among possible candidates named in the survey and which were sourced from media reports, former US Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin and Israeli central bank governor Stanley Fischer scored highest for banking and finance experience.

Kemal Dervis, a former Turkish economy minister and head of the UN Development Programme, scored highest on knowledge of development issues and international organization experience.

Outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair ranked highest for political and diplomatic experience and tied with Rubin as an effective manager.

Among other names proposed by participants were former Nigerian finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former US president Bill Clinton and Muhammad Yunus, the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner who pioneered microcredit lending.

CGD President Nancy Birdsall said she hoped the survey's findings would contribute to the debate on the issue.

''We recognize that the survey is not scientific -- for example, we did not use a random sample, which would be necessary for it to have any scientific validity. Even so, we think that the results can be useful in raising awareness about the selection process,'' she said.

REUTERS SZ PM0628