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Switzerland is open to the idea of a non-European to succeed Dominique Strauss-Kahn as the head of the International Monetary Fund, the Swiss member of the IMF board of directors said Sunday. "Switzerland does not back a European out of hand," Rene Weber said in an interview with the German-language weekly Sonntag. "I am not convinced by the argument that having a European director general of the IMF is especially important at this time because the institution was very involved in addressing the European debt crisis," he said. "On the contrary, it could be a positive thing if an outside person points out the weaknesses within the eurozone." Weber is on the IMF's 24-member board of directors, which must designate a successor by June 30 to Strauss-Kahn, who resigned to face sexual assault charges in New York. Strauss-Kahn plotted his defense against sexual assault charges Sunday at a Manhattan apartment where he is under house arrest following release from jail, according to AFP. Strauss-Kahn, 62, will plead not guilty and be cleared of attempting to rape a hotel chambermaid, his main lawyer said Sunday. Under a long-standing arrangement between Europe and the US, a European has always held the top IMF job while an American leads its sister institution, the World Bank. However, emerging powers are calling for an end to the arrangement to give an opportunity to a candidate from a developing nation. French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde has emerged as Europe's choice to lead the IMF despite a French judicial probe into alleged abuse of power. Britain endorsed Lagarde as an "outstanding candidate" for IMF chief on Saturday, the first G7 country to officially back her as Strauss-Kahn's successor. The finance ministers of Australia and South Africa said Sunday that merit, not nationality, should determine who replaces Strauss-Kahn as the chief of the IMF, Reuters reported. Belgian Finance Minister Didier Reynders Sunday threw his hat in the ring for the top IMF job, while acknowledging Lagarde was Europe's favorite candidate. Agencies |
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