By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, January 21 -- Amid Tunisia's seeming revolution, Inner City Press has asked the International Monetary Fund twice in the past fortnight about its role in the country.
On January 6, at the IMF first briefing of the year, Inner City Press asked, “on Tunisia, given the IMF's role and statements, what can IMF say about the unrest that has followed the death of protester Mohamed Bouazizi and others?”
IMF later that day replied with a statement that “we deeply regret the recent surge of violence in Tunisia. The IMF remains engaged with the Tunisian authorities... IMF staff continues to encourage the authorities to pursue structural reforms.”
As event moved forward, more and more of the commentary within and outside Tunisia noted that IMF's long time role in Tunisia. For example on a January 20 on a press conference call Steven Cook, author of "Ruling But Not Governing: The Military and Political Development in Egypt, Algeria, and Turkey,” referred the IMF having offered lavish praise of Ben Ali's authoritarian government.
So on January 20 at the IMF's next briefing, Inner City Press asked, “on Tunisia, what is the current status of IMF programs? With whom has the IMF spoken since the departure of Ben Ali?”
This time, the answer provided by spokesman David Hawley was that “there isn’t an IMF program. Tunisia is a country which has Article IV status and there is an annual consultation with the authorities.”
So what happened, after Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia, to the IMF “remain[ing] engaged” and “continu[ing] to encourage the authorities to pursue structural reforms”?
Inner City Press also on January 20 asked three other questions, getting two answers from the IMF:
Inner City Press: On Cote d'Ivoire, what has the IMF done and expended since November 28? What are its plans going forward?
Hawley: “We are waiting for the situation to stabilize before there can be further action on the fund supported program”.
Inner City Press: On Southern Sudan, what is the IMF's planning in light of the preliminary results indicating an overwhelming vote for secession?
Hawley: “The situation in Sudan, as in any country that divides, is that following recognition of the new entity and a request by the new entity to join the fund, there would be consideration of membership. That is a process that takes some time, up to a year.”
Inner City Press' final question, on Hungary, was neither read out loud nor acknowledged by email:
On Hungary, in light of Anne-Marie Gulde's statements, does the IMF find more in the country's plans to take issue with than the transfer of funds from private pension funds to the state?
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