In a statement sent to the media on Tuesday, the family
of the former Fugees star, who has served as ambassador-at-large under the
current Haitian government, confirmed for the first time that he was
considering putting his hip-hop infused music career on the back burner to run
for Haiti's top job.
"Wyclef's commitment to his homeland and its youth
is boundless, and he will remain its greatest supporter regardless of whether
he is part of the government moving forward," the statement said.
"At this time, Wyclef Jean has not announced his
intent to run for Haitian president. If and when a decision is made, media will
be alerted immediately," it said without elaborating.
Jean was born in Haiti but raised in New York. He is
wildly popular in Haiti, where half of the population is under age 21. Many
Haitians see him as a figure of hope and inspiration for a country with a
turbulent history.
Candidates in the Caribbean nation's Nov. 28 presidential
and legislative elections have until Aug. 7 to register.
Speculation about the singer hopping into the ring of
presidential contenders has grown since Haiti's devastating Jan. 12 quake,
which killed as many as 300,000 people and has left some 1.5 million survivors
still living under tarpaulins and in temporary tent cities.
Haiti's outgoing government of President Rene Preval, who
cannot seek re-election, has faced widespread criticism for being slow to aid
victims of the devastating quake and in launching the huge task of rebuilding
the country.
The country has been awash for years with rumors that
Jean might consider running for president of the poorest country in the
Americas.
Haiti won independence from France in 1804 after a slave
revolt. The reputation of traditional politicians has become tarnished by
decades of corruption, violence, intrigue and alliances with past military
dictatorships.
"I would vote for him because I am fed up with the
traditional politicians. I think he will win if he runs," said
Port-au-Prince resident Sophia Seraphin, 26.
"I think he loves Haiti and he would do anything to
help this country," she added.
But others worried whether he had the experience to lead
the country, which has suffered successive natural disasters.
"Wyclef is a great artist and Haiti's best
spokesperson. ... I am proud of his work as an artist and as a humanitarian,
but I don't think he has the qualifications to lead Haiti. So I would not vote
for him. I would vote for someone more politically mature," said Jeanvil
Bazile, 35.
The
singer and producer, best known recently for a string of collaborations with
Colombian pop star Shakira, has long been active in raising money for his
homeland through his Yele Haiti Foundation.
