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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The White House has begun searching for a successor to outgoing World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz amid questions about the tradition that allows Washington to name an American as the development lender's leader.

Europeans -- who were particularly critical of Wolfowitz and backed the drive to oust him from the bank -- nevertheless continue to support that Washington maintain its role in naming the World Bank president.

But several non-governmental organizations, along with Brazil, have called for the replacement search to be opened to non-American candidates and to focus on the person's competence rather than nationality.