Marc Malkin of UK’s e-online, has the following report on Wyclef Jean’s much-discussed potential bid for the Haitian presidency:
Wyclef Jean probably won’t make an official announcement until early next week, but it sounds like he’s actually going to run for president of Haiti. The Grammy-winning musician’s brother, Sam Jean, just told me that Wyclef has already put together the necessary paperwork he will need to file by August 7 if he decides to launch a campaign…
“It’s an opportunity that he’s exploring and exploring seriously,” said Sam, who is a spokesman for Wyclef’s Yele Haiti Foundation. “But it’s not really coming from him, to be honest. Most of the population in Haiti is under the age of 26, I believe, so the youth have really clamored to him. They’re the ones who are really excited and have said to him, ‘Hey, why don’t you run for president?’”
Asked if he thought his brother will run, Sam said, “There’s a very good chance.”
Wyclef , 37, has been an outspoken advocate for the impoverished Caribbean nation for many years, but his profile and popularity soared in the wake of the Jan. 12 earthquake. He was born in Haiti but his family moved to New York City when he was a young boy. He’s remained a Haitian citizen and also owns a home in the country.
Earlier this year, Yele Haiti came under attack when critics accused the group of misuse of funds. “It was an accounting situation that needed to be rectified,” Sam said, adding, “An independent auditor has [since] given the charity a clean bill of health.”
While the musician’s family insists Wyclef hasn’t made a final decision, a source said, “If I was going to place a bet on it, I’d say he’s going to run.”
For the original report go to http://uk.eonline.com/uberblog/marc_malkin/b192383_wyclef_haitian_presidential_bid_likely.html#ixzz0uvM2UsuC
