Paul Wolfowitzs position as head of the World Bank looked increasingly untenable (uholdbar) Friday as he was forced to retreat from a meeting after being booed (pebet ud) by his employees and the banks governing board met overnight to decide his fate, according to British media.
The 24-member executive board met late into the evening Thursday debating how to handle the matter. After the meeting, the bank released a letter sent by Mr Wolfowitz to the board, asking that “all the documents related to the board’s current review of the case” be made public – prompting another round of discussions.
The unprecedented (uden fortilfælde) events, amid calls for his resignation, were the latest twist in the saga that saw Mr Wolfowitz Thursday repeatedly apologise for his role in arranging a promotion and pay rises for his partner, in possible violation of bank rules.
Attempting to address around 200 World Bank employees gathered in the atrium of the banks Washington headquarters Thursday, Mr Wolfowitz quickly left after a knot of staff began chanting “resign, resign” while others also hissed and booed.
One staff member who was in the atrium said: – To see the banks president being heckled (afbrudt/forfulgt) by his own staff was amazing. He looked shocked, very shocked, by the reaction and the anger.
Earlier, the banks staff association – which represents the majority of the institutions Washington-based employees – called on Mr Wolfowitz to “act honorably and resign”, saying it was “impossible for the institution to move forward with any sense of purpose under the present leadership”.
Alison Cave, the head of the staff association, said: – The president must acknowledge that his conduct (opførsel) has compromised the integrity and effectiveness of the World Bank and has destroyed the staffs trust (tillid).
Calls mounted for his resignation after revelations this week that Mr Wolfowitz personally intervened to secure a substantial pay rise – from 132.660 to 193.590 US dollar, tax free – for his girlfriend Shaha Riza, a bank employee, when Mr Wolfowitz was first appointed president in 2005. Bank rules forbid couples from working together.
Mr Wolfowitz wrote a memo to the banks head of human resources detailing salary increases for Ms Riza – contradicting earlier claims that the matter was dealt with by others.
Aid agencies said the controversy was distracting the institution from carrying out its role as a leader in development at a vital time. – The worlds poor cannot afford a lame duck (handlingslammet) president at the World Bank, said Oxfam, the leading British NGO..
In a strongly worded editorial, the influential British daily “Financial Times” called on Mr Wolfowitz to stand down. Calling the controversy “lethal” (dødbringende/giftig) to the banks credibility (troværdighed), the papers leader column said:
“In the interests of the bank itself, he should resign. If he does not, the board must ask him to go.”
