Grammy winning hip hop singer Wyclef Jean has stepped down from Yele Haiti, the aid group he founded five years ago to campaign to become the president of Haiti.Jean, 37, and his family left the United States on a private plane Thursday to file his papers to be a candidate in the November 28 election.
In announcing his move to quit the aid group Jean was emphatic that he was not stepping down "in my commitment to Haiti."
In a statement he made it clear that "regardless of what path I take next, one thing is certain: My focus on helping Haiti turn a new corner will only grow stronger.”
Jean's group raised US$9 million following the January 12 earthquake that killed an estimated 300,000 people. Some of the funds have been spent on providing food, water, tents, clothing and other products for survivors of the worst natural disaster in the country’s history.
Jean said it is the disaster that helped him make the decision to run in the election. “If not for the earthquake, I probably would have waited another 10 years before doing this,” the he told reporters.
He added, “the quake drove home to me that Haiti can't wait another 10 years for us to bring it into the 21st century”.
The music star, who left home at the age of nine said, “If I can't take five years out to serve my country as president, then everything I've been singing about, like equal rights, doesn't mean anything.”
Jean had been a strong supporter of President Rene Preval, who has named Jean a Haitian ambassador-at-large. Preval, who is barred from contesting the election because he has already served two terms, is supporting Prime Minister Jacques-Edouard Alexis. He is considered as one of the front-runners in the race.
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