The results of the second round of WTO Director-General selection committee consultations were announced today (Friday, April 29). Frenchman Pascal Lamy was the leader, followed by Uruguayan Carlos Pérez del Castillo.
Mauritian Foreign Minister Jaya Krishna Cuttaree was third of the three candidates (least likely to generate a consensus), and dropped out of the contest.
Richard Waddington reports for Reuters that: "France's Lamy stays on track to win WTO race". Waddington points to reports of "tactical" voting by the European nations:
"Diplomats said Cuttaree lost out because many European Union states had put the Uruguayan, a widely-respected former head of the WTO's executive General Council, as their second choice, preferring a run-off against him to the Mauritian."
Warren Giles reports for Bloomberg that "Lamy's Bid for Top WTO Job Buoyed as Rival Eliminated ". Giles reports that the next round is to begin on May 9, and is expected to lead to a selection by May 31.
Sam Cage of the Associated Press reports that "Cuttaree pulls out of race to be WTO chief". (via San Luis Obispo Tribune)
Frances Williams reports in the Financial Times: "Lamy the frontrunner to become world trade chief" (April 29).
Apparently the second place decision between Cuttaree and Pérez del Castillo was very close. What will happen now?:
"European diplomats said the latest round of consultations confirmed that Mr Lamy not only had the most support, first and second preferences combined, but also the broadest spread of support.
Mr Lamy, who is French, can now expect to pick up backing from many ACP countries that previously stood behind Mr Cuttaree. They are likely to be more wary of Mr Peréz del Castillo, who is from a country committed to liberal farm trade policies that could endanger their preferential trade with the EU and other industrialised nations.
But Mr Peréz del Castillo claims significant support in Asia as well as a solid base in Latin America. "
Revised several times during April 29
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