Wyclef Jean, the U.S.-based musician turned Haitian presidential candidate, vowed Monday to clean up corruption in his homeland and vigorously defended himself against claims he siphoned off money destined for earthquake victims.
Photo: Frederic Dupoux/Getty Images
Wyclef Jean and his wife, Marie Claudinette Jean, walk through a crowd of supporters before he submitted paperwork to run for president of Haiti.
Wyclef Jean and his wife, Marie Claudinette Jean, walk through a crowd of supporters before he submitted paperwork to run for president of Haiti.
In interviews with NPR, he also responded to critics of his bid for office — including actor and activist Sean Penn — who say Jean is out of touch with the Caribbean island nation. Speaking to NPR's All Things Considered, the three-time Grammy-winning hip-hop artist said the problem in Haiti is one of "bad management."
"The idea in moving Haiti forward would require putting everyone in a post where you feel there's absolutely no corruption," he said, acknowledging that while he isn't a political expert, he would surround himself "with the right people to make sure the ideas I have are implemented."
He said his candidacy particularly appeals to Haiti's youth. Younger Haitians "have no faith in any form of old-structure politics," he said. "The tone on the ground is that if Wyclef Jean is not running, we're not voting."
Speaking earlier to NPR's Tell Me More, Jean, who is an ambassador at large for Haiti, fired back at Penn, who was quoted recently as saying that he was "suspicious" of the musician's motives. Penn acknowledged that "I don't know the man" but said about Jean that "I haven't seen or heard anything of him in these last six months that I've been in Haiti."
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