Wyclef Jean will not be the President of Haiti
Shawn Norris
After a few weeks of garnering support for a run at the Haitian presidency, the hip-hop star failed to meet several legal requirements and has reportedly been left off the ballot for the Nov 28 election. “If I wasn’t president…”
A source close to the proceedings said that it looked as though the 39-year-old wouldn’t get a chance to make the official presidential ballot; most likely because anyone running for president needs to have been a resident of Haiti for at least five years prior to the election.
He said the electoral disputes bureau entrusted with settling challenges to candidacies had ruled that Jean did not meet several legal requirements, but he gave no details.
You see, Wyclef was born in Haiti, but hasn’t actually had residency in Haiti for quite some time.
Jean, who left Haiti with his family to live in Brooklyn, N.Y., at the age of 9 and launched his music career in the United States, was among 34 contenders for the Haitian presidency who filed their documents with the council this month.
I do understand why Wyclef would want to run for office in Haiti, but I’m still a little perplexed to why a man that wrote this song would be so gung-ho about become president. I’m mean just listen to this song — a pretty bleak outlook for someone not looking to end their own life.
Confusing? Yes. But so was the break-up of The Fugees. Can’t knock Jean for trying to help his people. His heart seems to be in the right place; unfortunately his place on the ballots won’t be.
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