* Deadline is Friday; U.S. has always held post
* Sachs builds support for candidacy, but not from U.S.
* Emerging markets talking about putting up a candidate
* Possible deal in the making on IFC top job
(Adds details on IFC in paragraph 16)
By Lesley Wroughton
WASHINGTON, March 19 (Reuters) – With just five days to go
for nations to put forward nominees to lead the World Bank,
there are few signs the United States has finalized its choice
to lead the global development lender.
The United States has held the presidency of the Bank since
its founding after World War Two, while a European has always
led its sister institution – the International Monetary Fund.
But Washington has yet to publicly identify a candidate and
some observers think the delay could signal that the White House
is having a hard time convincing high-level officials to take
the job. The White House and U.S. Treasury Department have
declined to comment.
Sources with knowledge of the administration’s thinking say
the hope was to convince a woman to enter the race to replace
Robert Zoellick, who has said he will step down when his term
expires at the end of June.
Continued…
