PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, CMC– Haiti’s electoral commission has said that hip hop artist Wyclef Jean cannot run for president, ending his bid to lead a country struggling to recover from the January 12 earthquake.
The Provisional Electoral Council approved 19 candidates and rejected 15, spokesman Richardson Dumel told journalists late Friday, without providing justification for the decisions.
Jean faced a challenge to his candidacy in the November 28 elections because he has not lived in Haiti for the past five years as required.
He later issued a statement urging his supporters to remain calm and respond “peacefully and responsibly to the disappointment.
“Though I disagree with the ruling, I respectfully accept the committee’s final decision, and I urge my supporters to do the same,” he said.
Jean had apparently been aware which way the decision would go. The 40-year-old entertainer had been in a hotel near the Electoral Council office but left abruptly without speaking to journalists about an hour before the announcement. He issued his statement later.
While rejecting Jean, the board approved two leading presidential candidates, former prime minister Jacques-Edouard Alexis and Yvon Neptune, who was the last prime minister under ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and has been active in helping to coordinate reconstruction efforts.
Jude Celestin, head of the government’s primary construction firm and the candidate supported by President Rene Preval, and Michel Martelly, a well-known Haitian singer known as “Sweet Mickey” have also been given the nod to contest the polls.
But the Electoral Council rejected the candidacy of US Ambassador Raymond Joseph, who is Jean’s uncle.
Preval is barred running for re-election in the election under the Constitution.
Jean, who gained famed as a member of the hip-hop musical group Fugees before building a solo career, had no political organization, not much of a following beyond his fans of his music and only a vague platform, casting himself as an advocate of Haiti’s struggling youth and saying he will ask reconstruction donors to help the country’s dysfunctional education system.
He also has faced persistent criticism over alleged financial mismanagement at the charity he founded, Yele Haiti.
If Skerro loves his country and his Dominican people so much why is he holding on so tightly to his French passport and his allegiance to France. Wyclef Jean has only one citizenship and that is Hatian, i.e. he only has one passport and allegiance to one flag i.e Haitian.
@Jayson: and look at the state California is in currently.
wyclef hopes was to high just because he singing his daily bread songs.he really just was not fit to take up that task and i happy de people could see dat.
One thing I realize with the black race is that sometimes we don’t recognize that maybe what we least expect to be best is best!!! We might just be surprised! We are too critical at times and like to jump and say this and that won’t work!!!
@UPTOWN REBEL!!!: Well said. There is supposed to be an independent Electoral Commission in Dominica which is responsible for elections. The DLP. Govt up to this day has refused to listen and act to the recommendations of the Commission for electoral reform, particularly for the provision of VOTER ID CARDS, FREE ACCESS TO NATIONAL RADIO STATION FOR ALL OPPOSITION PARTIES, CLEANING THE VOTERS LIST AND RESPECTING THE AN-TI BRIBERY LAWS. Since 5 years now Dominicans are begging Skerritt and his GOVT. to dish out the $$$$$$$$$.so the Electoral Commission could do its job better to ensure FREE and FAIR elections. No response, only trickery and stubbornness. Is Haiti more Law-abiding than Dominica? Is Haiti more Democratic? or in that case our Govt. fraid Electoral reform because ???????? A long, bitter struggle is on to get Skerritt to listen to the Independent Electoral Commission recommendations. Again the Commission has requested the same reforms after the December 2009 Bogus elections. Why is our country been allowed to become so lawless. Let us not allow the INDEPENDENT ELECTORAL COMMISSION and THE CONSTITUTION TO BE HIJACKED BY A FEW. Innocent , Law-abiding Dominicans like you and you and you will suffer if we do.
@hiphop: Was he any less qualified than actor Arnold Schwarzenegger (The Terminator) who is currently the governor of the 3rd largest state in the USA?
Mr Jean is now challenging this order.. He has some good points.. And look at thissssss… Mis Haiti is some bimbo from D.R with a Spanish accent n last name who was born on hati soil and still ran to be mis Haiti.. The ppl who ran the pagent were her own family even to the translators and yet some Haitians embraced her to rep their country huh.. Even though she lived in d.r most her life…. Mr Jean was a apointed to be an ambassador by the gov… But not good enough to be prez huh? And what proof they got to state he has not lived in the country??? How long must a person stay in a country to claim they live there????? He is not an American citizen he has a GC.. He goes back n forth to Haiti n USA.. Well he has a right n point.. So I back him to challenge them.. Even some ppl who were accepted to run in Haiti said it was unfair what they did.. So mr Jean go head I back u up
@UPTOWN REBEL!!!: Tell Skerro Constitution, the Law stopped Jean. Haitians as much as everyone pick on and critize them have integrity. Our professionals moreso our lawyers don’t have an ounce.
Dominica’s worst problem is the failure of the church and it’s fake preachers who say one thing in the name of god and then do another… They were doing that way before skerro entered the arena so too much emphasis on the wrong things as per usual!
I trust all those hypocrites who up-hold the double standards on the island of the Commonwealth of DA saw how simple & swift the law was up- held on Haiti for Wycleft Jean ( a hip hop artist ,who maybe sincere but emotional and naive) about his ability/suitability for such a monumental task)The electoral process and enforcers halted his temity unlike ours who allowed and circumvented the process allowing a upsurge in decadance of standards and functionabilty of law. We have a president and ex-professor of law who supposed to be a “luminary” sits on his butt and says nothing but ask for an increase in wages and perks attend every function and eat all he can sometimes leaking at both ends of the mouth.Frank Baron described the current IPO chair in similar fashion. In addition those who think they are it socially are too preoccupied in keeping their psuedo elite status( being on everyboard colllecting to pay for their mortgages and travelling to purchase all earthly goodies to further demonstrate they are what they hallucinate themselves to be.The take home message here is: It comes to an end.Let the unfounded emotional desire of Wyclef Jean( stopped in his tracks) by the process of law(which does not seem to exsist here).
Another aspect of our society which really sickens is education: All cat and goat are always talking about “doing my bachelors my masters” as if before they did no one else did.(smart people don’t talk about these things)Now they got it ,what do they do with the education they profess to have?
Even that comic Burgess was describing cut and paste, hacking etc had to tell us he was doing a masters what does that have to do withthe price of tea inChina?You do computers we know that talk about the issue (shithead).This is training my boy nothing to do with logic politics etc.
Anyway all you psuedo intellectuals go on chat phat.This is why Da is the way it is and when foreigners laugh with us then insult us by saying D/cans are silly and naive guys like Burgess and others are the cause.Let Wycelf’s failure wake us up and do not elect Hicks but educated people to officeand allow the function of law.
Let’s see DNO print or not print this.
Serves him right! i say this on the heels of the stupid comments I have readon this page. DOminica like Haiti will never go anywhere. The man give up all he has to help these stupid fools and they turn him down. You think if I am a pop star in the US I will come and help all you ungratefull Dominicans?? Well all you fart a verb. I would not even smell all you! So in that light he is too stupid to give up his good life to helps those fools. Talking about inregrity! What hell intergrity Haitians have?? In anycase he could have helped them better with his fame and draw attention to their country! i think he should abandon them !
Wyclef needs to stick to his humanitaroan works and continuing to aid Haiti but president not for him he is not qualified enough so now he needs to move to Hait and in the next elections he would qualify and that would give him enough time to work on the skills he does need to run a country like Haiti
you people write like the guy is going to read ur comments…and im sure he could and would do a lot better than the rest …atleast he’s not after money but the wellbeing of he’s country…he only wanted to see his people smile again by cutting down on poorvaty …none of the others love their people ..its the money they after
Difference here is: Ron Green, Eddie and the freedomite turn labourite P.M, all live on island over 5yrs . Some of the posts here are not in sync.However ,the laws are their & in sync.In addition when a little crayfish out of the blue( not the UWP kind of blue) has the cojones (not C.O Jones as one AH stated) to jump ship ,elbow more mature, sensible ,eloquent in English creole spanish and French void of french, US or canadian passport,speech pathology and staes no constitution no law no one can………….. it’s an indication that the D/can society lacks ,quality, honesty ,balls/cojones and the often talked about integrity.
Most of our academics(so called, more psuedo than real) lack or fail to emerge and progress intelectually upon graduating instead most regress once they return home and begin new carrers mostly in the gossip field. There are eminent examples look at some of our Agriculturists who graduate and spend 60% of their time in an office and 40% in th speakeasies not even using some of the 40% to plant a lettuce head.Our lawyers oh boy they make law look like rumology.They depend on drug pushers not the big boys and land transfers only to blow it on drinks cars and the hairy bank.They do not add any value to our educational development to the society which bore them.They allow the crayfish to make such dumb statements with imunity and to run schemes Ponsi and D/can financial schemes.Our president is a law luminary or a …………………ary keeps quiet while he add to his earthly posessions( failing to recognise he’s reached his 3 scores and 10 already or soon.Impliment laws or help up hold em.Then we can have more credible representative coming forward and acting according to our constiution.Many should be struck out like Jean for integrity rather than residency as the criterion.
I LIKE WYCLEF AS AN ARTIST….BUT HONESTLY I DON’T THINK HE KNOWS THE FIRST THING ABOUT RUNNING A COUNTRY…..THAT BEING SAID I AM QUITE HAPPY THAT HIS BID WAS REJECTED….CONCENTRATE ON YOU MUSIC BRO…THIS POLITICAL GAME AINT NICE AND IT AIN”T FOR YOU.
ON ANOTHER NOTE…TO ALL THE PERSONS QUICK TO COMPARE THE HAITIAN SITUATION WITH DOMINICA……..THE MAN HAS NOT LIVED IN THE COUNTRY FOR OVER FIVE YEARS AND THAT’S PROVEN….THEIR WAS NO MENTION OF DUAL CITIZENSHIP, THEREFORE AS IN OUR CASE IT WE CAN PROVE THAT SKERRO HAS DUAL CITIZENSHIP…THEN GET HIM OUT……NOT THAT I SAID PROVE…..A LIE IS NOT TRUTH EVEN IF ALL THE WORLD BELIEVES IT.
Wyclef…Come-on man stay for another 5 years build up your supporters more,you will be successful.It’s worth it,Haiti needs you.It’s not like you can’t afford to stay and get more supporters.
Brother , I think that it will work best for you if you stay in your singing vibs, dont worry. just do the best that you can do for your country.am sure God will see you through.
Non tendered contracts, quarries, colas plant, airport works, chinese laborers, china sponsored retail takeover,
Territorial sea give away,interferance in judicial system to release Fellow French men fisher agents, introduced prostitution and Human trafficking.
Why?.
population change,
Economic dominance
France wins war for Dominicans resources
,
Wonderful Haiti.
Haiti moves on to maturity.
Shame on those who prostituted their votes in Dominica.
Shame on the electoral officers who allow self professed French agents to run for elections
Shame on the 7 recounts until enough ‘spoilt’ ballots to change the vote.
Shame on the ‘judge’ who does not have the testicular fortitude to uphold the Law.
Time to enforce the Treason act.
Time for DNO to Publish the Treason Act and the Electoral Laws.
BOTH HIMSELF AND HIS UNCLE —REJECTED?? I GUESS I WOULD TAKE MY CUE AND BID HAITI ADIEU CHERIE; THEN TEARFULLY HEAD FOR MY NEW HOMELAND THE YEW ESS OF A ……..
— AND WHEN I BEND TO KISS THE TARMAC AT J-F-K I WOULD ENSURE THAT MY BUTT IS POINTING IN MY FORMER HOMELAND’S DIRECTION {NO I WOULD NOT FART}
and by the way Mr Jean ; there is a little island that NEEDS more assistance than HAITI all now so please consider us WE WILL TREAT YOU BETTER please sir
@hiphop:
you got it bro ………same as skerritt
@vibes:
can you imagine HAITI giving DOMINICA a lesson in ETHICS and INTEGRITY?
@S:
go tell that to this useless bunch we have in charge now IF YOU DARE
@We need an Electoral Council: iF WE HAD ONE THEN NO DOMINICAN WOULD BE QUALIFIED, MOST OF US WERE BORN IN GUADELOUPE, MARTINIQUE, ANTIGUA, ST MAARTEN, USA , ST LUCIA ETC.
WE DONT HAVE REAL DOMINICANS ANYMORE.
@vibes: Offcourse we respect our constitution, our leaders are bonified Dominicans living in Dominica and whether they hold dual citizenship they are still DOMINICANS.
@UPTOWN REBEL!!!: What you mean by that, are you familiar with the constitution of Dominica? Jean had been out of Haiti for more than 5 years. Skerritt had been there forever and with a Dominica Passport.
Who cares!!!! I guess he thinks that because he thinks he is a star, everything would just be handed to him.
I am surprise at many of the comments I am reading here now. I have continuously read about the dislike for Haitians and the negative connotations that goes with Haiti. Apparently, something has not been working and is not working there. THEREFORE, something has to be done. Haiti needs a change, Haiti needs to be reformed. They need to start over again, they need people like Wyclef to go there and make a difference. I hope that he now goes over there and live there for the next 5 years so he could be better prepared next time around. It is sad that they are losing someone like this.
So sweet mickey really in the running?
It is quite avious that those who has been living in Haiti for the 5 years that is required are totally unable to run the country, therefore someone from the outside should have been giving the chance. He couldn’t do any worst than those who was in charge of the Country before. Just look at the current condition in Haiti and I am talking before the earh quake.
Wyclef is unqualified to run for president of Haiti, nuff said.
Well,…at least the Haitians have integrity.They are standing up for what is right.
They are respecting their Constitution,the supreme law of their land,and are abiding by what it say……..Nuff said.
All the best…….
@ hm!
senseless comment! damn IDIOT!!!!!
Wat happen, cry he crying dere man. Boy look roro.
Hats off to Haiti shows that their are still law abiding folks in the Caribbean!!
atleast Haitians respect their consitution!! Dominica needs to take a line of respecting the laws of
Dominica!!
I think we need something similar like the Haitian Electoral Council to screen qualification of candidates before the election. Tis would elliminate all challenges after election, whwich is waht is now going on in Dominica and some other Caribbean countries..
Despite all, Haiti seems to cling to the rule of law. Seems like they followed the law by the letter, and stated that no one was above election laws regardless if you’re a celebrity.
Seems to me this run for president was all show but no subtance. If Wycleff Jean is genuinely interested in being president of Haiti, he should now reside on the island for 5 consequetive years then run in the next election. Now let’s see where his heart is, whether in the USA or Haiti.
Mr Jean, this is not the time to look down but to look up, the Electoral commision in your country cannot be influence by your financial success as a stand alone barometer, to include your bid to run for the highest office in the land. However, this is not the end but the begining of a new journey for you, you must look at this a begining of a journey with it’s challenges that must be overcome, if it a matter of the rule of law, it is still in the interest of the people of Haiti, and it is for you as well.
Dominica should take a page from haiti’s book. YOU DONT BEND RULE EVEN THOUGH YOU LIKE SOMEBODY. The same laws exist in dominica but we choose to ignore it . live in the country for 5 years and you free to take part in elections.
I’m happy. Just because you love and support your country doesn’t mean that you can run it!