Reuters - Interned in the huge prison complex Rikers Island since Monday evening, Dominique Strauss-Kahn to add to a prison daily increasing pressure for his resignation as director of the IMF.
Then he will appear a second time on Friday before a criminal court in Manhattan to respond to alleged sexual assault, DSK is increasingly isolated and keeping him at the head of the International Monetary Fund is seen as an embarrassment .
The IMF has tried to contact its Director General to determine whether he intended to remain at this station during the course of the investigation or whether he planned to retire.
In a statement, the international institution has lamented the fact that such a relationship could not take place since the inquiry of DSK Saturday afternoon at JFK Airport in New York on a plane to Paris.
An IMF spokesman said that "it is obviously important that contact can be established within a reasonable time."
"I know there is a problem concerning his status in the IMF, but it is hoped that this will be put in brackets the time that we see clearer in this case," said Bill Taylor, one of the lawyers DSK.
Washington calls for an interim Director
Two sources at the IMF confirmed to Reuters that the board has tried Tuesday to join DSK considering whether or not to remain at his post.
One source said that IMF chief's resignation is the ideal solution, while the second source said that this sentiment was not shared by the 24 members of the board of directors.
The IMF chief is currently in custody at Rikers Island prison after rejecting his request for bail in a case of alleged sexual assault on a woman in a hotel room in New York.
According to the regulations of the prison administration of the city, inmates may receive three visits per week in addition to their lawyers.
The U.S. treasury secretary, Timothy Geithner, said it was important that the Fund can continue to operate normally at a time when he intervened in the rescue of several European Union countries.
"I can not comment on the case, but obviously he (DSK) is not in a position where it may lead the IMF," said Geithner.
"It is important that the Board of Directors of the IMF formally appoint someone to a transitional period and that person is acting as director," he added.
The White House is already thinking of replacing John Lipsky, number 2 of the Fund who is temporarily acting, and plans to push the candidacy of Councillor David Lipton to this post.
"Given the situation, the release on bail was refused, he should (resign) to avoid penalizing the institution," said Maria Fekter, Austrian Minister of Finance.
"It is important to ensure the stability of the institution, but we must also rely on the intelligence of Mr. Strauss-Kahn.And in this case it does not seem to have demonstrated, "said Elena Delgado, Spanish Minister of Economy.
Rivalry between emerging European and
If it is not yet officially opened, a succession of DSK to head the IMF is already the subject of rivalries, especially between emerging markets and European Union.
China, which last year became the third largest contributor to the Fund, called for "fairness, transparency and merit" in choosing the new head of the organization.
Brazil and South Africa echoed this position by stating that the choice of the next executive director must be on the basis of his qualifications and not his
nationality.
"We believe it is appropriate to have someone from a country emerging.We believe that India and Brazil are good options, but we also believe that Europe will try to maintain its leading position and we're going to press, "said an official of Brazil.
The three main tasks of the director who will eventually be named are: the debt crisis in Europe, the establishment of a political agreement on reducing debt in the U.S. and the risk of an inflationary bubble in emerging markets .
Waiting to be re-heard by American justice, Dominique Strauss-Kahn was under continuous surveillance designed to prevent any suicide attempt.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn has shown no signs to that effect and it is simply a precautionary measure, said a source within the prison service.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn will be monitored more frequently than other inmates, the source said, without elaborating.