Haitian-born musician Wyclef Jean is overcome with emotion while discussing his recent visit to earthquake-stricken Haiti and how is organization, Yele Haiti, is helping with relief efforts, Monday, Jan. 18, 2010, in New York. (AP / Diane Bondareff)
The Associated Press
Date: Saturday Jul. 24, 2010 7:36 PM ET
MONTREAL — A spokeswoman for Wyclef Jean isn't saying whether the hip hop star has plans to run for the Haitian presidency and wouldn't confirm a Canadian newspaper report that the musician is ready to throw his hat into the ring.
"We don't have anything to talk about at this point, that's for sure," Adrienne Jacoby told The Canadian Press in a telephone interview Saturday.
"I know there's always rumours flying (around), but we don't have anything definitive on our end, so if anything were to change, I'm sure a press release would be issued."
Jacoby, of Jean's charitable Yele Haiti Foundation, was responding to a report Saturday in an Ottawa-based newspaper that says the Haitian-born musician is poised to run for president.
French-language newspaper Le Droit reported that a source close to the Haitian government is "sure" the singer and producer will be a candidate.
Asked if Jean has ruled out a campaign for the president's office, Jacoby replied that she doesn't have the answer. But she didn't deny it, either.
"I don't really have that kind of association with him, so I don't get to ask him those questions," she said.
"As far as I know, no -- I have no comment."
Jean's charity helped with relief efforts following January's devastating earthquake, work that prompted many to ask him if we would consider leading the impoverished Caribbean nation.
Jean, 37, was asked Friday in an interview with Fox Business if he would run in the Nov. 28 presidential election.
"I would say right now, currently at this minute, no," responded the former member of the now-defunct Fugees.
Earlier in the week, the Haitian-American, who grew up in New Jersey, addressed the issue on his Twitter page.
"Just to Clear up the rumours I have not announce (sic) to the Press that I'm Running for President of Haiti," his tweet says.
The newspaper report said Jean is taking steps to formalize his candidacy, which must be registered by the first week of August.
It also says he is consulting his entourage and law experts to assure that his eventual candidacy is legal.
"They've asked me over again," Jean told Fox business when asked about rumours he was going to run for the Haitian presidency.
Jacoby said Jean's constantly asked about presidential aspirations because the people in Haiti love him.
"That's probably why the rumours always start flying around about him," she said.
The country is still struggling to recover from the massive earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people and reduced cities to rubble.
Last week, a key U.S. senator criticized Haitian President Rene Preval in a paper, saying he has "demonstrated marginal capacity to lead his country's reconstruction."
Preval has been president for nearly 10 of the last 15 years. His tumultuous term is scheduled to end in February, when he will be replaced by the winner of November's vote.
ctv.ca
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