Israel cbank chief Fischer says to run for IMF head

Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer said on Saturday his candidacy for the head of the IMF has been submitted.

Israel's Channel 2 TV had earlier reported that Fischer's name was in the final list of candidates for the job vacated by Frenchman Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who resigned after his arrest on May 14 on charges of attempting to rape a New York hotel maid.

There arose an extraordinary and unplanned opportunity, perhaps one that will never happen again, to compete for the head of the IMF, which after much deliberation I decided I wish to follow through on. This, even though it is a complicated process and despite the possible barriers, Fischer said in a statement.

(Reporting by Steven Scheer and Tova Cohen)