Tuesday, September 21, 2010
By Houston Williams
Hip-Hop
artist Wyclef Jean has formally ended his bid for the presidency of Haiti after
his homeland refused to accept him on the ballot.
“After weeks of quiet but painstaking reflection with my wife and daughter,
I have chosen to end my bid for the presidency of Haiti,” Wyclef said
in a statement to CNN. “This was not an easy conclusion to reach; but
it is one that was thoughtfully made, taking into account many, many competing
factors and weighing the course that will best advance the healing of the country
and help it find the quickest path to recovery.”
Haitian officials contested the legitimacy of Wyclef’s claims that he
had been a resident of the nation for at least five years, a required marker
for the presidency.
He said that the decision was difficult and that he wanted what was best for
the people of his native land.
“This was not an easy conclusion to reach. Some battles are best fought
off the field, and that is where we take this now. Our ultimate goal in continuing
the appeal was to further the people’s opportunity to freely participate
in a free and fair democratic process.”
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