Haitian Election Officials Disqualify Wyclef Jean’s Run for Presidency

Haitian election officials have disqualified Wyclef Jean’s bid for presidency. The hip-hop star was presumably ruled out of his campaign for not meeting requirements.

In a statement released on Friday, Jean told the Associated Press, "It's been a hard couple of weeks. Right now, I just want to go with my family and relax." He will instead play "a different role than [he] had anticipated it to be."

The 40-year-old singer-songwriter said he believed to have filed all the necessary paperwork, but "somehow [he] got overruled."

Haiti’s electoral council did not explain why Jean was disqualified, but sources suspect it was because Jean has not lived in the country for the past five years as stipulated. In a five-paragraph statement to the press, Jean said he disagreed with the ruling but respectfully accepts the decision.

Jean wrote, "I want to assure my countrymen that I will continue to work for Haiti's renewal; though the board has determined that I am not a resident of Haiti, home is where the heart is — and my heart has and will always be in Haiti."