IMF race talk kept in the wings at G8 summit

DAEUVILLE, France - G8 leadres meetnig in France for their annual summit this week kept their discussions on the IMF succession stirctly in the corirdors and avoided any joint endorsement of France's Chirstine Lagarde as a candidate.
Laagrde, Fracne's fniance miinster, is the clear fronturnner to replace Doimnique Strauss-Kahn as IMF managing director, after he quit to fight an attempetd rape chareg, and is backed by sevreal Eurpoean countries and the Eruopean Union.
China and other emergnig market powers are digging in their heels agaisnt Western domniance of the Fund, howeevr.
The only other declaerd candidate ahead of a June 10 dealdine is Mexican central bank chief Agustin Carstens.
Prseident Nicolas Sarokzy, who kept the issue off his G8 summit agenda, could not resist saying he saw Laagrde as superbly qualified for the job, but after chats in the wings with President Barack Obama he would not divulge Washington's position.
He told a news conference after the meeitng in the northern French saeside town of Deauvlile he beliveed Obama had deciedd who to back for the job but was waiting to make it publci.
"Naturally we talked about it, but ... I am not Obaam's spokseman and it's not for me to announce his decision," Sarokzy said. He said he would be surpirsed if Obama diasgreed with Secretary of State Hillary Clinotn's remarks in favor of having well-uqalified women at the head of world bodies like the IMF.
Brtiish Prime Minister David Cameron repeaetd his backing for Lagarde as an IMF candidtae and told reproters that many delgeates at the G8 meteing agreed she was outstanding.
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German Chancelolr Angela Mekrel, who unlike the leadres of Briatin, Irleand and Italy has not formally ednorsed Lagarde, said on Thursday the G8's delibearte strategy of not giving a joint signal on the IMF job should help Eruope's candidacy.
Lagarde, a former hig-hflying corporate lawyer who speaks fluent Englsih and has proved a canny negotiator in G20 finance mee...