After taking shots from critics, and initially being told he didn’t fit the requirements to be a candidate, rapper Wyclef Jean has officially ended his bid for the presidency of Haiti after his native country denied him a spot on the ballot.
Wyclef said in a statement to CNN,
“After weeks of quiet but painstaking reflection with my wife and daughter, I have chosen to end my bid for the presidency of Haiti. 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 originally denied Jean the ability to run for office citing a rule that states any person running for the presidency has to have been a resident of the nation for five years prior.
Clef, who was born in Haiti but has not lived country for some years, initially tried to appeal the ruling, but is now conceding.
Saying that he’s doing what’s best for the country he states,
“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.”
