Trade minister Jayan Cuttaree is still in the race to head the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Former EU trade chief Pascal Lamy took the lead on Friday after a first round of consultations that saw the Brazilian contender, Luiz Felipe Seixas Correa, knocked out.

Kenyan ambassador, Amina Mohamed, who heads the selection panel, said Lamy had more support than Jayen Cuttaree and Carlos Perez del Castillo, former Uruguayan trade envoy to the WTO. He also announced that the next round of consultations would begin on April 25, with the three candidates left.

The WTO is looking for a successor to current director-general Supachi Pantitchpakdi by the end of May. After the rows surrounding the last election, when New Zealand?s Mike Moore and Supachai ended up serving three years each, the WTO is desperate for a peaceful transition. Members fear a fresh fight over the leadership could delay the round of free trade negotiations with trade ministers due to conclude key pacts in Hong Kong in December.

Jayen Cuttaree has the official backing of the group of African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, which represent many of the WTO?s poorest members; he is therefore in a good position for the post. He left Mauritius last weekend for Brussels where he has been invited by the EU Parliament to give a presentation today on his vision of the WTO followed by a question-answer session. The minister will then proceed to Geneva to continue his lobbying campaign.