"It's not the moment to talk about particular candidates yet, but rather about the general principles of the election, " Uribe said in an interview. "The election must be open, transparent and based on merit, without restrictions of nationality."

Dominique StraussKahn, the former finance minister of France, last week won overwhelming European Union backing to become the IMF's next president, prompting Poland to withdraw its candidate. Strauss-Kahn plans to tour emerging markets in a bid to drum up support for his candidacy.

The 48-year-old Uribe, head of Colombia's central bank since November 2004, speaking in general terms about the process, said he would support a candidate from any member nation so long as the prime considerations are experience and credentials.

"All countries will vote, " said Uribe. "I don't believe it appropriate to think simply that it's one candidate, to speak as though it's a done deal."

Successor A majority of EU finance ministers on 10 July came out in favor for StraussKahn, 58, who steered France into the euro as finance chief from 1997 to 1999 and failed last year to win the Socialist Party's presidential primary.

Britain held out for a more open selection process, questioning Europe's 61-year lock on the fund's top position. All nine heads of the Washingtonbased international lender have been European, prompting calls for a more global contest to find a successor for Rodrigo de Rato when he steps down in October.

The Polish government withdrew its nomination of former Prime Minister Marek Belka, 55, as a candidate after the massive backing for Strauss-Kahn.

"It's the same as in any job, " said Uribe. "At the central bank my post is not based on whether a person comes from a certain region of the country or graduated from a particular university."

Global 'Realities' Brazilian Finance Minister Guido Mantega in a statement also pressed the IMF to make a merit-based selection and asked that the fund alter the way candidates are chosen, saying current rules don't reflect global "realities".

Mantega plans to consult with his counterparts in countries such as China, India and South Africa to present a common front.

Uribe noted that the leader of the IMF has generally been a European and that candidates should hail from any part of the world so long as it's based on merit.

"The process is not finished yet and there has to be an election, " said Uribe. "In terms of merit, the person with the greatest merits, should it be a European, I think that's great; if it's an Asian person, I think that's great; and, if it's a person from the American continent, I think that's great."