Wyclef Jean is counting on Haitian expatriates

Wyclef Jean filled papers for his candidacy on Thursday and is officially running for President of Haiti. He said, “If not for the earthquake, I probably would have waited another 10 years before doing this. The quake drove home to me that Haiti can’t wait another 10 years for us to bring it into the 21st century.” The artist added, “If I can’t take five years out to serve my country as president, then everything I’ve been singing about, like equal rights, doesn’t mean anything.”

The singer is counting on support of Haitian expatriates living in New York because the Big Apple and Brooklyn in particular, is home to the world’s largest number of Haitian refugees. Yet, Jean can’t count on his former bandmate, Pras Michael, who announced he’s supporting Michel Martell for he is the most competent candidate.

Interviews with Brooklyn Haitians show that it may be difficult for Jean to raise voices of support. Some people think that the musician is simply not fit for the job. But Wyclef is counting on younger voters to get him into office. “My decision is a draft,” Jean said, “I’ve been drafted by the youth.”

The former Fugees singer’s Yele Foundation has worked to raise money to help Haiti recover from the destructive earthquake from January. However, there seem to be questions about how the foundation is directed. Wyclef Jean said that he learned from his mistakes, changing Yele’s leadership and opening up its books.

Jean’s family released a statement last week saying that Wyclef’s commitment to his homeland was boundless. Maybe this is one of the reasons he never changed his citizenship and has always been proud of being a native Haitian.

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