A leading member of Germany's ruling Social Democrats voiced criticism on Thursday against the nomination of US Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz as the next World Bank president.

"The recommendation is devastating," the German News Agency DPA quoted Michael Mueller, deputy leader of Social Democrats in parliament, as saying.

With Wolfowitz at the helm of the World Bank, there would be "a militarization of thinking" which would lead to "oppression and hegemony" through the World Bank's policies, Mueller said.

Mueller called on European leaders to try their best to block the nomination.

The United States officially nominated Wolfowitz, a key architect of the Iraq war, to replace World Bank President James Wolfensohn, which has been confirmed by the World Bank on Wednesday.

The United States is the World Bank's biggest share holder. Since its establishment in 1945, the bank traditionally has had an American president.

President Wolfensohn is stepping down as head of the 184-nationdevelopment bank on June 1 at the end of his second five-year term.

(Xinhua News Agency March 18, 2005)