S. Samuel
The Fugees' Wyclef Jean has announced that although he no longer seeks the Haiti presidency for 2010, plans are in motion to make a run in the 2015 election.
According to Clef, he needs five years to properly prepare his bid.
Rapper Wyclef Jean is refusing to give up on his dream of becoming president of Haiti and is planning to run for office in the 2015 election. He tells Hip-Hop Weekly, “I’m not a quitter, and the most important thing for me is, I think, to move Haiti forward, it’s gonna take modern thinking. So, if all goes well, I plan to definitely come back in five years and give it another shot.” (ABC News)
After being ruled ineligible by Haitian election officials last August, Clef initially said he would appeal the decision.
“After careful consideration and much soul-searching, I have made the decision to contest Haiti’s board of elections’ pronouncement stating that I am ineligible to run for the presidency of the country,” Jean said in a statement. “I will be seeking a solution through legal channels, and I urge my countrymen to be patient through this process. In the 36 hours since the board’s decision, I have been in constant conversation with my family, friends and advisers, and reading the comments of good people and supporters throughout the Haitian diaspora. I’ve also been closely monitoring the situation on the ground, which I am happy to report has remained peaceful and thoughtful…These factors, and more, inspire me now. I am heartened by the world’s focus on Haiti and its needs, as well as the great spirit of the Haitian people–my people, and I cannot in good conscience give up my quest to lead Haiti to the greatness I know in my heart we are capable of reaching. I cannot surrender now, simply because an obstacle has been set before me; now is the time I must stand up and show Haiti–and the world–that my vision of a nation renewed and redeveloped is a vision for which I am willing to fight.” (Statement)
However, in September, Jean ended his run for the 2010 presidency.
“After weeks of quiet but painstaking reflection with my wife and daughter, I have chosen to end my bid for the presidency of Haiti,” Jean said in a statement. “This was not an easy conclusion to reach; but it is one that was thoughtfully made, taking into account many, many competing factors and weighing the course that will best advance the healing of the country and help it find the quickest path to recovery.” (MTV)
Earlier this week, Clef was hospitalized in New Jersey.
Billboard.com reported that Jean has been suffering from headaches for weeks, forcing him to check himself into a hospital in New Jersey, where he lives. “He has been following a very heavy schedule, that has taken him to Europe twice, Asia and Africa, at the same time he’s working to finish his upcoming album and he has been meeting with a few head of States during the General Assembly Session at the U.N.,” Billboard quoted a source as saying. (Los Angles Times)
Check out some recent footage of Wyclef Jean down below:
