IMF
Says
Consults
Broadly in
Egypt, Focus
on Democracy
Doubted, Mali
Silence
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
March 22 --
After Egyptian
Finance
Minister
Mumtaz al-Said
bragged that
the
International
Monetary Fund
does "not
object to
the
government's
economic
program,"
Inner City
Press on
Thursday
again
asked IMF
spokesperson
David Hawley
for the IMF's
"response to
criticism that
it is
negotiating
with an
unelected
military
government in
a way that the
parliament
opposes."
David
Hawley
replied, "In
response to
Matthew Lee's
questions, I'd
note that
the purpose of
the mission
that's just
wrapped up in
Cairo is to
consult
broadly with
stakeholders
in Egypt to
ensure that
should
there be a
program that
it enjoys
broad
political and
social
support,
thank you very
much."
While
the IMF's
regional
director
Masoud Ahmed
held a number
of meetings in
Cairo,
the concerns
still exist.
Also
on democracy,
Inner City
Press
submitted this
question: "On
Mali, please
describe the
IMF's recent
work there,
the country's
level of debt,
and what the
IMF knows and
thinks about
the reported
coup or
mutiny."
In
front of the
UN
Security
Council, from
where Inner
City Press
submitted its
four
questions to
the IMF, it
also asked US
Ambassador
Susan Rice
about
Mali: is it a
mutiny or a
coup? She
said, "looks
like a coup."
The Security
Council is
slated to meet
about Mali at
4:30 pm.
But
the IMF did
not
answer or even
acknowledge
the question,
despite this
sample
statement
on its website:
A
mission from
the
International
Monetary Fund
(IMF) visited
Bamako
from September
5 to 16, 2011
to conduct
discussions on
the seventh
review of the
arrangement
under the
Extended
Credit
Facility
(ECF),
which will
expire at
end-2011, and
on the
preparation of
a new
three-year
program
eligible for
IMF support.
The team met
with Mariam
Kaïdama
Cissé,
Prime
Minister;
Lassine
Bouaré,
Minister of
Economy
and Finance;
Sambou
Wagué,
Minister of
Budget; Oumar
Ly, National
Director,
Central Bank
of West
African States
(BCEAO); and
representatives
from the
National
Assembly,
civil society,
unions,
and the
private
sector.
Christian
Josz,
IMF Mission
Chief for
Mali, issued
the following
statement:
'The
economic
program of the
government of
Mali supported
by the IMF
remains on
track'
We
aim to have
more
on this. Inner
City Press
also submitted
questions on
South Sudan
and Sri Lanka
which have yet
to be
answered.
At Thursday's
briefing,
Hawley said on
Myanmar that
"the Article
IV was held
beginning
of this year
and is going
to the Board.
The
authorities
have agreed
to
publication, I
believe for
the first
time, of the
Article IV and
that will take
place in the
weeks ago."
That, he said,
will
allow a
discussion of
the managed
float of
currency.
Watch this
site.
, 
