There has been much speculation Mr Brown wants to replace Dominique Strauss-Kahn Gordon Brown has told the BBC he is not in South Africa to “pitch for a job” at the International Monetary Fund.
There is mounting speculation the former UK PM wants to become the next IMF chief – following the resignation of Dominique Strauss-Kahn.
Mr Brown, who is due to make a speech on aid in South Africa, said: “Any candidate to head the IMF needs to be appointed on merit”.
Mr Strauss-Kahn denies charges of trying to rape a hotel maid in the US.
He resigned on Thursday saying he wanted to devote his attention to “proving my innocence”.
There have been reports Mr Brown, who was chancellor for 10 years before becoming prime minister in 2007, is mounting a bid for the top job at the IMF.
He is in South Africa to launch a report warning of an “education emergency” in the developing world – and has called on richer countries to donate billions of pounds a year to a new Global Education Fund. The Guardian newspaper reported the speech would help stake his claim to be the next IMF chief.
Mr Brown, who remained MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath after Labour lost power in last year’s general election, took on an advisory role at the World Economic Forum last month.
His global profile rose during efforts to alleviate the effects of the financial crisis while in Downing Street.
But David Cameron appeared to kill off Mr Brown’s chances of succeeding Mr Strauss-Kahn in April, when he said the former PM “might not be the best person” for the job.
Backing from a candidate’s national government is seen as prerequisite for selection – the final decision is made by the IMF’s executive board.
On Thursday Mr Brown’s former City minister Lord Myners told the BBC the time was not right for him to take the job, and a “non-European” should be chosen.
One of the priorities for the next IMF managing director will be to deal with Greece’s debt crisis and the wider problems within the eurozone.
Business Secretary Vince Cable told the BBC that “somebody who understands the internal problems of the eurozone” would probably get the job.
He said he did not want to comment on Mr Brown’s strengths and weaknesses, but that “promoting national champions, whoever they are, probably isn’t the best way of dealing with this”.
Acting IMF chief John Lipsky said on Friday that French finance minister Christine Lagarde would be an “excellent choice” to replace Mr Strauss-Kahn.
Other names thought to be in the frame for the IMF job include Singapore’s finance minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, former South African finance minister Trevor Manuel and Kemal Dervis, Turkey’s former minister of economic affairs.
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