or
Sign in with lockrMail
BREAKING NEWS
OK LogoNEWS

Wyclef Jean "Drafted" to Run For Haitian President

2010__08__Wyclef_John_Aug5news 300×183.jpg

Aug. 5 2010, Published 11:55 a.m. ET

Link to FacebookShare to XShare to FlipboardShare to Email

Wyclef Jean knows his new mission in life and is on the verge of pursuing it. The Grammy-winning hip hop artist has decided top run for President in his home country of Haiti, a political position he has been "drafted" for.

"Not only am I running for president of Haiti, I'm being drafted by the people of Haiti," Wyclef told CBS News' The Early Show correspondent Betty Nguyen when asked why he is running for the tough task in the impoverished and naturally depleted nation.

Article continues below advertisement

OK! NEWS: WYCLEF PARTNERSHIP ON TRACK TO RAISE $1 MILLION PER DAY FOR HAITI

Haiti is scheduled to vote for a new president on Nov. 28.

Wyclef has long been ingrained in the Haitian community and took on a larger activist role after the 7.0 magnitude earthquake devastated Haiti in January.

OK! NEWS: HAITI TELETHON RAISES $ 57 MILLION

His charity the Yéle Haiti Foundation strives to improve the situation for Haitian people through educational, health and community projects.

It recently came under fire after critics accused him of misusing funds from the organization. But Wyclef denied the accusations.

OK! NEWS: BEHIND-THE-SCENES OF THE STAR-STUDDED "WE ARE THE WORLD" STUDIO SESSION

So what makes the celebrity qualified for the difficult task?

"I have no qualifications for president; I have qualifications for a leader," he told CBS.

OK! NEWS: WYCLEF & RIHANNA TELL OPRAH HOW TO HELP HAITI

MORE ON:
Wyclef Jean

Want OK! each day? Sign up here!

Article continues below advertisement

Wyclef also shared with the Wall Street Journal his plans to improve the devastating condition of the country.

"Well, I think the reality of it, to rebuild Haiti is going to take 25-30 years. But I think there are issues we can start tackling — the education, the literacy problem, the job creation problem, the agricultural component," he explained to the WSJ. "The idea that if everything is being imported how do we get our export back. National production. These are some of the things that I feel we can start tackling. And when I say job creation, the infrastructure, the reconstruction of Haiti, should not only involve international contractors, but there should be local Haitian contractors too."

OK! NEWS: WYCLEF JEAN — "THIS IS THE APOCALYPSE"

The exclusive interview with The Early Show will air Friday, Aug. 6 (7:00-9:00 AM, ET/PT) on the CBS.

More From OK! Magazine

    Opt-out of personalized ads

    © Copyright 2024 OK!™️. A DIVISION OF MYSTIFY ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK INC. OK! is a registered trademark. All rights reserved. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and Cookies Policy. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services. Offers may be subject to change without notice.