Less than 24 hours after the IMF Managing Director was arrested at JFK airport in New York, a new NGO website has been launched to campaign on the IMF's selection process for its Managing Director. While Mr Strauss-Kahn's arrest was a shock, the NGO community had been preparing for avacancy at the IMF as it was thought DSK would be stepping down in June to prepare for French elections in 2012. The recent events, however, means that there is a jump start to the campaign and the Bretton Wood Project, along with partner organisations, has launched the website www.imfboss.org. The aim of the site is to be a hub for coordinating and advocacy to promote an open selection for the IMF head. NGOs created a similar site during the last selection of the World Bank. The site carries an April report from 21 civil society organisations demanding an end to the 'gentleman's agreement' between the EU and US on selecting the heads of the World Bank and IMF.
Meanwhile speculation on the possible successors to DSK, should he step down as a result, has started in earnest, with Alan Beattie writing on it in the Financial Times times and Owen penning a post on his blog.
More Reading
The Financial Times articles: Battle Commences for IMF top job; Crisis threatens European role at IMF
Owen Barder's Blog - Owen Abroad