WASHINGTON — The tenure of Kristalina Georgieva as managing director of the Worldwide Financial Fund faces a pivotal second on Friday, when the fund’s government board will meet to determine whether or not she ought to proceed to be its chief following allegations that she pressured workers to control a report back to placate China when she was a high World Financial institution official.
This week, the chief board spent hours questioning Ms. Georgieva about her actions. Additionally they interviewed attorneys from WilmerHale, the regulation agency that performed the World Financial institution’s inner evaluation of the circumstances surrounding the Doing Enterprise survey. The agency performed an inner evaluation that was revealed final month and concluded that Ms. Georgieva performed a central function in meddling with the report, elevating questions on her judgment and talent to proceed main the I.M.F.
Ms. Georgieva has denied the allegations, and in a gathering with the board on Wednesday she provided a forceful rebuttal.
“The WilmerHale Report doesn’t precisely characterize my actions with respect to Doing Enterprise 2018, nor does it precisely painting my character or the way in which that I’ve performed myself over a protracted skilled profession,” Ms. Georgieva mentioned in an announcement to the board that was obtained by The New York Instances.
Mr. Georgieva, a Bulgarian economist who assumed the highest I.M.F. job in 2019, additionally criticized the character of the World Financial institution investigation and mentioned that she had been misled.
“The e-mail from WilmerHale requesting my participation mentioned clearly that I used to be not a topic of the investigation and warranted me that my testimony was confidential and guarded by World Financial institution workers guidelines, which assure due course of,” Ms. Georgieva mentioned. “None of this proved to be true.”
The controversy surrounding Ms. Georgieva has raised questions on China’s affect in multilateral establishments. It has additionally change into a distraction for the I.M.F. as it’s making an attempt to assist coordinate the worldwide financial response to the pandemic. Outstanding economists have publicly debated whether or not she ought to step down. The Economist journal referred to as final month for Ms. Georgieva’s resignation.
The USA, which is the fund’s largest shareholder, has but to supply public help, and officers have declined to say if she ought to keep within the job.
“There’s a evaluation at the moment underway with the I.M.F. Board, and Treasury has pushed for an intensive and truthful accounting of all of the info,” mentioned Alexandra LaManna, a Treasury spokeswoman. “Our main duty is to uphold the integrity of worldwide monetary establishments.”
Former World Financial institution officers have described Ms. Georgieva as a polarizing determine, however she has usually received reward on the I.M.F. When she assumed the job in 2019, she shortly restructured the fund to imagine extra direct management over its every day operations. That included eradicating David Lipton, a very long time I.M.F. official and its first deputy managing director, earlier than his time period expired.
Mr. Lipton is now a high adviser to Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen, who may have important enter as as to if Ms. Georgieva stays within the job.
Republicans and Democrats in Congress have expressed concern about Ms. Georgieva’s actions on the World Financial institution and referred to as on Ms. Yellen to make sure “full accountability.”
The USA historically selects an American to be president of the World Financial institution, whereas the managing director of the I.M.F. is normally from Europe.
The I.M.F.’s government board will meet once more on Friday and will decide about whether or not it continues to trust in Ms. Georgieva.
The annual conferences of the World Financial institution Group and the Worldwide Financial Fund happen subsequent week.
