French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde's candidacy for IMF chief gained wide?support in Europe on Sunday while Mexico put forward its own candidate, ensuring competition for the top job, Reuters reported. 　

France's Economy Minister Christine Lagarde gestures during a news conference for a G20 seminar on the reform of the international monetary system in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu province in this March 31, 2011 file photo. Britain endorsed Lagarde as an "outstanding candidate" for IMF chief on May 21, 2011, the first G7 country to officially back her as Dominique Strauss-Kahn's successor. [Agencies]

The Mexican Finance Ministry said it would nominate central bank chief Agustin Carstens to compete for the IMF leadership.

 

The Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn of France is currently under house arrest in New York over charges of attempted rape of a hotel maid.

The Dean of the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund, Mr. Shakour Shaalan, said that the selection of the next Managing Director will be carried out in an open, merit-based, and transparent manner.

Britain, Germany, Italy and other European countries have expressed their support for Lagarde as the IMF candidate. ?

 

British chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne chose Lagarde over the former prime minister Gordon Brown as the IMF candidate, saying that it would be "a very good thing to see the first female managing director of the I.M.F. in its 60-year history."?

The top IMF job have been occupied by Europeans since the?Fund was created? in 1945.

French Interior Minister Claude Gueant, a top advisor to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, said on Sunday Lagarde would make an excellent head of the Fund,"And besides, many countries support her,"??he told Europe 1 radio.?