Delay in WTO boss election

Delay in WTO boss election

PHUKET, Thailand (Dow Jones): Economy ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations said Saturday they were concerned over the delaying until this month of the selection of a new head of the World Trade Organization.

"The ministers noted that the current general director's term is scheduled to end in April 1999," the ministers, who are meeting informally on this resort island, said in a news release.

"The ministers agreed that the selection process must be completed in time and that it was in the interest of the WTO and its membership that a timely decision be made," the statement said.

ASEAN has officially endorsed the candidacy of Thailand's commerce minister, Supachai Panitchpakdi, for the top WTO post. The economy ministers said in the statement that they believed Supachai had the strongest support among all candidates for the job.

Current WTO Director General Renato Ruggiero's term runs out this year.