Israel's Fischer to challenge Lagarde for IMF head

[oberliner]

JERUSALEM, June 11 (Reuters) - Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer said on Saturday he would run for the top job at the International Monetary Fund, presenting a potential serious challenge to front-runner Christine Lagarde.

Lagarde, the French Finance Minister, told her Saudi Arabian counterpart earlier in the day that tackling sovereign debt troubles would be a priority of the IMF if she led the Washington-based rescue lender.

Fischer, also competing with Mexican central bank chief Agustin Carstens, had said the IMF post was one of the best jobs in the international system but was noncommittal on a bid until Saturday.

"There arose an extraordinary and unplanned opportunity -- perhaps one that will never happen again -- to compete for the head of the IMF, which after much deliberation I decided I wish to follow through on," Fischer said in a statement.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/11/imf-idUSLDE75A0AS20110611