Copyright 2005 The Financial Times Limited
Financial Times (London, England)

April 30, 2005 Saturday
London Edition 1

SECTION: EUROPE & INTERNATIONAL ECONOMY; Pg. 8

LENGTH: 346 words

HEADLINE: Lamy frontrunner for top world trade job

BYLINE: By FRANCES WILLIAMS

DATELINE: GENEVA

BODY:


Pascal Lamy, former Euro-pean Union trade commissioner, yesterday emerged in pole position to become the next director-general of the World Trade Organisation after the Mauritian candidate was eliminated in the second round of consultations with WTO members.

Mr Lamy, who established a clear lead over his two rivals, now faces a run-off with Carlos Perez del Castillo, former Uruguayan WTO ambassador and a respected former chairman of the organisation's ruling general council.

The victor, who will take over from Supachai Panitchpakdi of Thailand on September 1, will face the immediate challenge of readying a package of interim global trade accords for approval by ministers in Hong Kong in December. Mr Supachai warned this week that the Doha round negotiations, which are due to end next year, were "close to a crisis".

Trade diplomats said Mr Perez del Castillo had narrowly squeezed ahead of Jaya Krishna Cuttaree, the Mauritian foreign and trade minister, whose support came predominantly from poor African, Caribbean and Pacific nations.

Mr Cuttaree, who came second to Mr Lamy in the first round earlier this month, yesterday accepted defeat and pledged to give the support of Mauritius to Mr Perez del Castillo.

Amina Mohamed, Kenya's WTO ambassador and this year's general council chairman, heads a three-strong selection team charged with finding a consensus candidate by the end of May.

Though a vote can be called as a last resort, the search for consensus means candidates are being judged not only on the strength of their support but also on the extent of backing (and opposition) from rich and poor nations and from different parts of the world.

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.

But Mr Perez del Castillo claims significant support in Asia as well as a solid base in Latin America.

LOAD-DATE: April 30, 2005