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Germany intensifies push for IMF top job

BERLIN: Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is stepping up a campaign to promote a senior German government official as next head of the International Monetary Fund IMF, a magazine reported.

Schroeder plans to contact 24 countries that make up the IMF's executive committee to urge support for the candidacy of Caio Koch-Weser to succeed Michel Camdessus as The IMF managing director, Der Spiegel said in its latest edition.

A German government spokeswoman had no comment on Sunday, pointing to earlier official statements that Schroeder is pushing Koch-Weser, the deputy finance minister and a 26-year World Bank veteran, for the post.

The planned appeal to the IMF leaders was prompted partly by reports last week that France was keen to see former Prime Minister Laurent Fabius get the top job, Der Spiegel said.

The report said that could trigger a diplomatic tussle between Germany and France Ñ nominally the two main allies in the European Union.

Most EU countries signalled in December that they were ready to endorse Koch-Weser, but France did not commit itself. The United States also is not behind the German bid, Der Spiegel said.

Citing diplomatic sources, the magazine said US opposition stems partly from an interest by Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers in the IMF post should he lose his job after this year's presidential election. Camdessus, a Frenchman, is due to step down next month.ÑAP