WYCLEF JEAN has gone into hiding following alleged death threats as he awaits an official announcement on whether he can run in Haiti’s November presidential election.
The ex-Fugees star said he was at a secret location in Haiti in defiance of threats to leave the country, but revealed few details about who may be responsible for the alleged intimidation.
Jean’s presidential hopes hang in the balance as electoral officials prepare to announce whether he is eligible to run in what promises to be a tumultuous contest with dozens of candidates.
A list of candidates who meet constitutional requirements to lead the earthquake-hit country – requirements that could disqualify Jean – was due to be published yesterday.
However, officials said several unnamed candidates remained under review and that the announcement would not be made until tomorrow.
In a series of e-mails to the Associated Press, the 40-year-old rapper said he did not know whether the electoral commission, known as the CEP, would approve his candidacy but that there had been questions about whether he met residency requirements: “We await the CEP decision but the laws of the Haitian constitution must be respected.”
His lawyers were at the commission’s headquarters seeking to argue his case, he said.
In the same e-mails, he announced he was in hiding but did not elaborate on the nature of the threats.
If approved, Jean will be a frontrunner, but the fact he has lived in the US since childhood could put a premature end to a campaign launched two weeks ago with fanfare, dancers and hype.
Legal requirements and political intrigue – few believe the decision will be based on entirely technical reasons – could sink his hopes of swapping a recording studio for power in a broken country. – ( Guardianservice)