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Haiti

Wyclef denied Haiti candidacy

The electoral council has decided that Wyclef Jean is not eligible to run for president in Haiti.

HAITI’S ELECTORAL COUNCIL has denied Wyclef Jean’s application to run for presidency this November.

Jean was not included on the electoral register as he did not meet the legal requirements.

It is thought that Jean is ineligible because all Haitian presidential candidates are required to be resident in the county for at least five years prior to running as a candidate.

The commission has not explicitly stated the reasons behind the rejection.

Jean responded by saying:

Though I disagree with the ruling, I respectfully accept the committee’s final decision, and I urge my supporters to do the same.

Other criticisms levelled at Jean include accusations of mismanagement of his charity, Yele Haiti. He also faces questions about back taxes in the USA.

The devastating earthquake that hit Haiti in January killed an estimated 300,000 people, destroying much of the already poverty-stricken country’s infrastructure.