Wyclef Ends Bid For Haiti President
PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI - One month after his Presidential candidacy was formally rejected by Haitian authorities, Hip-hop star Wyclef Jean, says he has formally abandoned his bid for the top post in his homeland.
`After weeks of quiet but painstaking reflection with my wife and daughter, I have chosen to end my bid for the presidency of Haiti,` the singer-songwriter said in a statement Tuesday. `This was not an easy conclusion to reach; but it is one that was thoughtfully made.` Haiti`s electoral council ruled last month that the singer who was born in Haiti but moved to the U.S. as a child, failed to meet a requirement that presidential candidates maintain five consecutive years of residency in the country before running. Jean had said he would appeal the decision, but officials said the electoral body`s ruling was definitive under Haitian law. Jean says he now intends to re-focus on his music and will release a new album next year titled: `If I were President, the Haitian Experience.` `Though my run for the presidency was cut short, I feel it was not in vain,` Jean added.
