Germany openly called yesterday for resignation of World Bank leader Paul
Wolfowitz over his handling of a promotion he approved for his girlfriend.
"The situation, as it is, is no longer acceptable," German Development
Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, said in an interview published by the
Financial Times Deutschland on Monday.
"My conclusion is that Wolfowitz should do the bank a service and take the
consequences himself. The sooner, the better," said Wieczorek-Zeul, who is also
Germany's governor to the World Bank.
Meanwhile German government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said that Berlin had
"full confidence that the World Bank would find a solution that corresponds to
its high principles."
The pressure to oust Wolfowitz comes as the board of the World Bank prepares
to reach a decision on whether he broke bank rules when he ordered the bank's
human resources chief to give his girlfriend a hefty pay rise.
More than 40 senior former World Bank executives signed an open letter
published by the Financial Times yesterday calling for his immediate
resignation.
