Jean, Barred From Haitian Run, Now Denied Appeal
Wyclef Jean’s bid for the Haitian presidency has officially come to an end: The country’s electoral commission has announced that the ruling barring Jean’s run cannot be challenged under the law. His promise to appeal the decision would be “a waste of time because, when it comes to electoral matters, the electoral council is the Supreme Court, meaning there is nowhere else to go,” said the council’s Samuel Pierre.
Jean had earlier lashed out against the electoral council, saying other candidates were approved despite failing to meet the country’s five-year residency law — the sticking point in his own case. “Even before our work began friends in Haiti and abroad had warned me that much trickery would be used to block me. The result: CEP [the provisional electoral council] has proved it true,” Jean said in a recorded statement sent to the media. Yesterday he also told MSNBC that “the electoral council is very corrupted … They violated the constitution to benefit their families and their friends who continue to live off the people’s money. Are you going to continue to support people who do not respect the fundamental law of the country?”
Exclusive Video: Wyclef Details His Run for President of Haiti
For more on Wyclef’s presidential bid and what he hoped to accomplish if elected, read our interview with Jean in the current issue of Rolling Stone.