"This is not election but selection."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesian Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Mari Elka Pangestu is among the nine strong candidates for WTO director general for the 2013-2017 term, WTO Information and External Relations Director Keith Rockwell said.

"The nine candidates are surely the best and the strongest. Unfortunately, the seat is only one. Whoever is elected will become my boss," he said here on Thursday.

Mari who was formerly trade minister has been nominated for the WTO director general to replace Pascal Lamy of France who will step down in August 2013.

Keith, along with Director General of International Trade Cooperation at the Trade Ministry Imam Pambagyo held a meeting with editors-in-chief in the runup to the 9th WTO ministerial conference due to take place in Bali in December 2013.

According to him, the process of selecting the best candidates for the WTO director general is still underway in Geneva by involving representatives from its 159 member states.

"This is not election but selection," he said adding the WTO has its own procedure and way of electing its director general.

There is neither rule nor agreement that a candidate is elected to the post of WTO director general on the basis of geographical rotation like in the election of UN secretary general, he said.

Even though the WTO ministerial conference will be held in Bali. there is no sign that the WTO leader will come from Indonesia, he said.

"What is sure and clear, Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan will lead the WTO conference in Bali," he said.

Asked what he thought of Mari`s chance of being elected WTO director general, he refused to comment.

"All candidates are good and one of them will become my boss. So we must be neutral," he said.

At least 150 WTO members will elect new WTO director general in May 2013.

If elected, Mari will be the first woman to lead the world body. She will also be the second Indonesian woman to hold a top post in a respected world body after former finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati was named the World Bank`s managing director in 2010.

(Reporting by Akhmad Kusaeni, editing by Suharto)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2013