Greek gov't nominee for IMF post withdraws after party reactions

The Greek government's nominee to represent Greece at International Monetary Fund announced on Monday that she was no more interested in the post, after her appointment sparked fierce reactions within the ruling Radical Left SYRIZA party in the weekend.

Elena Panaritis, an economist who has worked at the World Bank in the past and has served as deputy with the socialist party (2009-2012) before becoming a close advisor of current Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, was presented as the latter's choice for the post.

Prominent party figures, including cabinet ministers and more than 40 MPs, publicly strongly criticized the selection due to her pro-bailout stance in previous years.

Following the uproar, Panaritis issued a press release stepping down before formally taking over later this June.

"I never asked for this post. Since I accepted it only because I meant to help the Greek government with my experience, given the negative reactions, I can not possibly accept the appointment," Panaritis said.

The statement came after a meeting between Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Varoufakis.

Greek media commented that the government obviously wanted to resolve this issue quickly to focus on the most critical negotiations with international lenders on the terms for the release of further vital aid to Athens to avert a possible default in coming weeks. Endit