IMF to work post-vote with 'whatever' Greek government

(WASHINGTON) - The International Monetary Fund said Thursday it would work with any Greek government resulting from Sunday's election, but was mum about its participation in another bailout of the country.

"We've been working with the interim government. We will work with whatever the (vote) outcome in terms of government from the weekend," IMF spokesman Gerry Rice told reporters.

Three days before the Greek election, opinion polls show the conservative New Democracy is neck-and-neck with Syriza, the leftist party that had accused the IMF of "criminal" responsibility for the country's economic crisis by pushing austerity policies under two previous IMF-European Union bailouts.

"We have to respect what's happening this week and the prerogatives of the Greek government," Rice said at a regularly scheduled news briefing.

He declined to say whether the IMF will participate in a third bailout of 86 billion euros approved by the EU on August 14.

"We will continue to try to support Greece's recovery as much as we can," he said.

The IMF, which is expected to announce its Greece decision in October, has been demanding political reforms from Athens and encouraging debt relief that the EU has been reluctant to offer.

"Our view has not changed," Rice said Thursday, refusing to give a "timeline" on the IMF decision.