UNITED
NATIONS, June
20 -- When the
International
Monetary Fund
on Thursday
morning took
questions for
the last time
in three
weeks, its
role in
Greece's
abrupt shut
down of the
public
broadcaster
was asked
about
repeatedly.
IMF
spokesperson
Gerry Rice
insisted that
the IMF didn't
order the
close
down, it only
sets broad
outlines. It
is not at all
clear that
this
is true.
On this, Inner
City Press
submitted
questions
about Pakistan
and the IMF's
demand to end
power
subsidies, and
about Yemen,
where
"ending fuel
subsidies is now
described by
parliament
member
Azam Salah as
a condition
imposed by the
IMF. Is
that the case,
and
what about
unrest and
lower income
Yemenis?"
The
IMF didn't
answer on
Yemen, nor
three
questions
submitted on
Africa.
But on
Pakistan Rice
said that an
IMF mission
arrived in
Islamabad
yesterday and
will take two
weeks, "as is
normal."
He
claimed
that there has
been "no
formal request
for a program"
- with that
claim seeming
to be the
justification
for not
answering
on the
question of
power
subsidies.
But
why does the
IMF take no
questions
about Africa?
Inner City
Press
submitted
these:
On
Sudan, given
Khartoum's
announcement
about stopping
the flow of
South
Sudan oil due
to alleged
funding of
rebels, how
does this
change the
IMF's analysis
or engagement,
including with
South Sudan?
On
Zimbabwe, the
World Bank's
country
manager has
said that
"arrears
clearance is
the main
thing." Does
the IMF agree?
What is the
IMF look for
from Zimbabwe?
On
the Democratic
Republic of
Congo, the
World Bank has
announced $1
billion in
programs. What
is the IMF
doing in the
DRC?
Maybe
new envoy Russ
Feingold,
if not Mary
Robinson, can
get and
publicize
an answer from
the IMF on
that. Watch
this site.
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