[Peace-discuss] another U of I alum in the Lat Am news

[Robert Naiman]

Apparently Rousseff considers the current central bank director for
financial system regulation and organization, Alexander Tombini, as
the “strongest” candidate to replace Meirelles, O Globo reported.

Tombini has a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Illinois and
an Undergraduate in Economics from the Universidade de Brasília (UnB).

Brazilian president-elect plans to maintain central bank’s
“operational autonomy”.
Merco Press. November 23, 2010

Brazil’s President-elect Dilma Rousseff plans to maintain the central
bank’s operational autonomy and also will keep the position of central
bank president as a Cabinet-level post, according to reliable sources
close to the leader.

Rousseff who takes office on January first will defer any decision on
her pick to head the central bank until after she meets current chief
Henrique Meirelles, added the sources. However the Brazilian press has
mentioned possible names for the post.

During the recent central bankers meeting in Frankfort the Brazilian
press quoted Meirelles saying he would stay in the post only if the
president-elect grants him “absolute autonomy” to manage the bank. He
also advanced he would not act as a “tampon” president after January
first until his successor is named.

Yields on interest rate future contracts in Brazil rose across the
board Monday amid speculation that Rousseff will replace Meirelles and
end the central bank’s operational autonomy, potentially skewing
policy in favour of economic growth at the expense of faster
inflation.

The yield on the interest-rate future contract maturing April 2011,
the most active Monday rose four basis points, or 0.04 percentage
point, to 10.84%. The contracts maturing from July 2013 rose 20 basis
points or more, while those due after July 2016 soared 30 basis points
or more. The Real fell 0.4% to 1.7216 per dollar.

The meeting between Rousseff and Meirelles has yet to be scheduled,
but Rio based newspaper O Globo reported on its website that Rousseff
has ruled out keeping Meirelles on as the bank’s chief.

Apparently Rousseff considers the current central bank director for
financial system regulation and organization, Alexander Tombini, as
the “strongest” candidate to replace Meirelles, O Globo reported.

Tombini has a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Illinois and
an Undergraduate in Economics from the Universidade de Brasília (UnB).
Alexandre was previously Senior Advisor of the Executive-Director and
Member of the Executive Board, Brazilian Office, International
Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington D.C. ; Senior Advisor, Foreign Trade
Board, Office of the Chief of Staff of the President of the Republic
of Brazil; and General Coordinator of International Affairs, Secretary
of Economic Policy of the Brazilian Ministry of Finance.

Finance Minister Guido Mantega will stay on at his post and was
confirmed by president-elect Rousseff when he travelled with her to
Korea for the recent G20 summit.


-- 
Robert Naiman
Policy Director
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org
naiman at justforeignpolicy.org

Urge Congress to Support a Timetable for Military Withdrawal from Afghanistan
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