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Paris - Shareholders should pick the next head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) based solely on merit, even if that means breaking with the tradition of always naming a European, OECD head Angel Gurria said on Friday.
After Dominique Strauss-Kahn resigned on Thursday as head of the IMF, some developing countries have called for the top IMF job to be opened up to non-Europeans.
Since the founding of the two Washington-based global financial institutions in 1945, the managing director of the IMF has always been a European and the president of the World Bank has always come from the United States.
"I totally agree that it's time to change something which is a tradition, not a rule or a law," Gurria told reporters at the Paris headquarters of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, a group of 34 mainly rich countries.
"The question of merit is the most important, not nationality," Gurria said.
Gurria said French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde, who has emerged as a favourite for the post, had "without doubt" the right qualities to be good candidate.
Strauss-Kahn's resignation, as he prepares to fight charges that he tried to sexually assault a New York hotel maid, has opened up a race for his succession at a critical time for the IMF as it helps eurozone states such as Greece, Ireland and Portugal cope with their debt problems.
Gurria voiced confidence that the eurozone would be able to overcome its problems, and that the euro would continue gaining importance as a reserve currency.
He said that the Spanish government had its public deficit under control and had taken other measures to ensure that it does not become the next country forced to seek a bailout.
After Dominique Strauss-Kahn resigned on Thursday as head of the IMF, some developing countries have called for the top IMF job to be opened up to non-Europeans.
Since the founding of the two Washington-based global financial institutions in 1945, the managing director of the IMF has always been a European and the president of the World Bank has always come from the United States.
"I totally agree that it's time to change something which is a tradition, not a rule or a law," Gurria told reporters at the Paris headquarters of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, a group of 34 mainly rich countries.
"The question of merit is the most important, not nationality," Gurria said.
Gurria said French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde, who has emerged as a favourite for the post, had "without doubt" the right qualities to be good candidate.
Strauss-Kahn's resignation, as he prepares to fight charges that he tried to sexually assault a New York hotel maid, has opened up a race for his succession at a critical time for the IMF as it helps eurozone states such as Greece, Ireland and Portugal cope with their debt problems.
Gurria voiced confidence that the eurozone would be able to overcome its problems, and that the euro would continue gaining importance as a reserve currency.
He said that the Spanish government had its public deficit under control and had taken other measures to ensure that it does not become the next country forced to seek a bailout.
