( CNN ) -- The United Kingdom will back French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde to become head of the International Monetary Fund , British Chancellor George Osborne said . The IMF is scheduled to begin accepting nominations for its top job Monday , following the resignation of Dominique Strauss-Kahn , who faces sexual assault charges in the United States . `` We support her because she 's the best person for the job , but I also personally think it would be a very good thing to see the first female managing director of the IMF in its 60 year history , '' said Osborne , Britain 's equivalent of a finance minister . Strauss-Kahn , who is accused of trying to rape a maid last week in his suite at the Sofitel hotel in New York , was released from Rikers Island jail on Friday and is staying with his wife , Anne Sinclair . He proclaimed innocence in a resignation letter to the IMF Executive Board late Wednesday . `` To all , I want to say that I deny with the greatest possible firmness all of the allegations that have been made against me , '' he said . The IMF said Friday that it aims to complete the selection process by June 30 . Lagarde is likely to face opposition from developing economies , who are proposing their own candidates for the post . Mexico will put forward Central Bank Chief Agustin Carstens as a candidate , the state-run news agency reported Sunday . Carstens worked with the IMF as the executive director for Mexico , Spain , Venezuela and Central America , and was later a deputy managing director there , Notimex said . Since the IMF was created in 1945 , all 10 of the institution 's managers have been European . Four of them have been French . CNN 's David Wilkinson contributed to this report .
NEW : New York will propose its central bank chief to lead the IMF , state media reports . British Finance Minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn would be the first woman to run the IMF . Christine Lagarde resigned amid charges he tried to rape a hotel maid in New York . He denied the allegations in his resignation letter to the fund 's executive board .