World Bank picks Korean-American Kim as president

Despite an unprecedented challenge from two developing-world candidates, Washington's 66-year lock on the World Bank presidency will almost certainly remain intact when directors meet Monday to fill the post.Even after one of the challengers dropped out Friday to push his support to the other -- Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala -- they won't be able to overcome US and European backing for the US nominee, health expert Jim Yong Kim, analysts say.

By Simon Johnson, co-author of White House Burning A decision on choosing the next president of the World Bank is expected this week – perhaps as early as Monday.  The Obama administration nominated Jim Yong Kim, president of Dartmouth College and a noted public health expert.  The reaction to this nomination from development economists and people experienced in the business of lending to poor countries has been overwhelmingly negative.

By Dana Blankenhorn: Dartmouth president Jim Yong Kim has been chosen President of the World Bank, beating out Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for the honor.The world's most important banker, in other words, is not a banker but a doctor.

Colombian ex-finance minister Jose Antonio Ocampo told AFP early Wednesday that he is a candidate to lead the World Bank.Ocampo confirmed reports that he and Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala were in the running, saying in an email to AFP: "Confirmed. It is the Nigerian minister and I."Okonjo-Iweala was not immediately available to confirm that she is a candidate.Nominations are due Friday at the World Bank for potential candidates to succeed World Bank president Robert Zoellick, who is stepping down at the end of his term in June.