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This is an archive article published on June 28, 2011

IMF could pick Lagarde as chief as soon as Tue

Russia,according to reports in Beijing and the ITAR-Tass news agency in Moscow.

French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde is expected to be chosen as early as today to become the new leader of the scandal-rocked International Monetary Fund.

Lagarde would be the first woman to head the lending organisation and would replace Dominique Strauss-Kahn,who resigned last month as managing director after being charged with sexually assaulting a New York City hotel housekeeper.

Lagarde was opposed by Agustin Carstens,a Mexican central banker whose candidacy never caught fire,even among developing countries.

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She has broad support in Europe,where she has spear-headed the region’s battle against a vicious and stubborn debt crisis. She has also won support from China and

Russia,according to reports in Beijing and the ITAR-Tass news agency in Moscow.

The US government has not publicly backed any candidate,but most analysts expect the Obama administration to support Lagarde.

The United States,Europe,China and Russia hold a combined majority of votes on the IMF’s board.

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The 24-member executive board represents the 187 members of the IMF,which lends to financially troubled countries. The board members will seek to agree on a new managing director by consensus at meeting Tuesday.

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