Wyclef Jean announces presidential bid
Posted August 6, 2010 12:03 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Hip-hop star and frontman for the Fugees Wyclef Jean has made it official, announcing he plans to run for president of Haiti on Larry King Live Thursday evening.
“I’m being drafted by the youth of Haiti. Right now it’s a chance for us to bring real education into the school, infrastructure, security and proper jobs, so this is some the reasons that I’m running,” he said.
“Over 50 percent of the population is a youth population, and we suffered for over 200 years.”
If his candidacy is approved, he will face several other candidates, one of which will be ex Prime Minister Jacques-Edouard Alexis.
Jean and his family moved to the United States from Haiti when he was nine years old.
The singer, rapper and producer has been active in his home country with his personal charity, and has been helping to rebuild the country after January’s devastating earthquake.