Posted on 06/11/2011 5:45:46 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer (pictured) confirmed Saturday that he had applied for the position of head of the International Monetary Fund, potentially posing a serious challenge to France’s finance minister, the current front-runner.
Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer said on Saturday he would run for the top job at the International Monetary Fund, presenting a potential serious challenge to front-runner Christine Lagarde.
Lagarde, the French Finance Minister, told her Saudi Arabian counterpart earlier in the day that tackling sovereign debt troubles would be a priority of the IMF if she led the Washington-based rescue lender.
Fischer, also competing with Mexican central bank chief Agustin Carstens, had said the IMF post was one of the best jobs in the international system but was noncommittal on a bid until Saturday.
"There arose an extraordinary and unplanned opportunity -- perhaps one that will never happen again -- to compete for the head of the IMF, which after much deliberation I decided I wish to follow through on," Fischer said in a statement.
Israeli Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz, Israel's representative at the IMF, said he would support and aid Fischer's candidacy.
The job has been vacated by Frenchman Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who resigned after his arrest on May 14 on charges of attempting to rape a New York hotel maid.
Fischer, 67, would be a serious contender to Lagarde. But the IMF would have to change its rules that no one should be appointed to the post over the age of 65 and that no one should hold the post beyond the age of 70.
Fischer, a former deputy managing director of the IMF and ex vice chairman of Citigroup, also holds Israeli citizenship, which could pose a problem for Arab countries.
"Because of my unique experience ...
(Excerpt) Read more at france24.com ...
I would have a better chance than he does.
I hope he gets the position. He is a good man and would be better than that rapist Straus Khan!
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