As a result, the Soviet Union will not only be a participant in all bank decisions, including the selection of bank fund recipients, it will enjoy borrowing privileges.
Fredrik Erixon, a former World Bank economist, told the BBC that the selection process was "anachronistic" but he still expected the White House nominee to be the successful candidate.
Japan's prime minister is facing a rift with his finance minister over who to pick as the next Bank of Japan governor, a division that epitomizes the difficulty of the selection process.
In developing its infrastructure program for Africa, the African Development Bank has run carbon cost scenarios and used environmental and social sustainability as part of its selection criteria.