Russia queries Strauss-Kahn's qualifications for IMF

PARIS, Aug 25 (Reuters) A Russian official was quoted as saying in a newspaper interview today that former French Finance Minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn lacks the technical skills to head the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Moscow's representative on the IMF board, Aleksei Mozhin, told Britain's Financial Times that Russia had also secured the backing of unnamed developing countries for its own candidate, former Czech Prime Minister and central banker Josef Tosovsky.

''There is nothing in Mr Strauss-Kahn's curriculum vitae which could make it clear he has the necessary technical skills to do the job,'' Mozhin was quoted as saying, adding that the IMF selection process was ''deeply flawed''.

''We believe the IMF is facing a severe crisis of legitimacy and that if you want to make the IMF relevant to the needs of developing countries we must select the best candidate,'' he said.

''We strongly believe that Mr Tosovsky is the best candidate with the most relevant experience,'' he said.

The search for a new IMF head was sparked by the sudden resignation in June of Rodrigo Rato, a former Spanish finance minister. Rato is due to formally step down after the IMF's next ministerial-level meeting in October.

Rato's departure has interrupted discussions on how to give developing countries more say and how the Fund is run amid calls for European countries to give up some voting power and even consolidate their membership into one ''constituency''.

The U.S. and European countries have in the past used their combined votes to ensure a European always heads the IMF and an American heads its sister organisation, the World Bank.

Developing countries have in the past proposed candidates of their own -- when he was appointed, Rato faced an Egyptian-born rival -- but Russia's motive in challenging the status quo by nominating a European Union national has been questioned.

Russia's move comes at a time it is in a war of words with Prague over US plans to site parts of a missile defence system in Czech Republic. The Czech government says it does not support Tosovsky.

The IMF's board said on Thursday that it welcomed candidates from any of its member countries and would invite them to Washington for discussions once applications close next week. It is due to set a timetable for picking a replacement at a later date.

REUTERS RAR VC1515