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Johannesburg - With just one day to go before nominations
close for the next head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the African
Union said on Thursday it would like to see a non-European in the position,
preferably an African.
The AU has not put forth a name for its preferred
candidate to replace Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who stepped down last month as
IMF managing director to fight sexual assault
charges.
South Africa's former finance minister Trevor Manuel has
been seen as a possible candidate, but he has not formally been nominated.
"Selecting a non-European and particularly someone from
the developing world would go a long way in increasing voice and representation
at the IMF for these countries," the AU said.
French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde is frontrunner in
the race but Colombia on Wednesday was the first Latin American country
publicly to back Mexico's central bank chief Agustin Carstens for the job,
saying a dozen other countries from the region also supported his candidacy.
Emerging economies would like a candidate from their group
to head the fund but have not rallied behind one nominee.
The AU said a compromise would be for the number two post at the fund to be given to a European.
