Wyclef Jean is in hiding after receiving death threats over his campaign to become president of Haiti, while an electoral commission is postponing a ruling on who will be allowed to run for the position in a November election, leaving the hip hop artist's candidacy in limbo, the Associated Press says.
Jean, a native of the country and one of the first celebrities to offer it aid after the devastating January earthquake, filed formal paperwork at an electoral office in Port-Au-Prince, the country's capital, on August 5 to become one of some 30 candidates vying for the presidency.
Jean disclosed the death threats in a series of e-mails to the Associated Press and said he had received a phone call telling him to get out of Haiti.
The electoral commission's decision to postpone an announcement of the list of approved candidates until the end of the week sparked small protests throughout Port-au-Prince. Scores of men marched and sang in the rain, while a main road to the city was blocked by burning tires.
Haiti's Constitution says candidates should have lived in the country for the five consecutive years before the election. Jean says a 2007 appointment as a roving ambassador marked an exemption.
"We await the CEP decision but the laws of the Haitian Constitution must be respected," he said, later writing in an email to the Associated Press one word: "Hope!"
Jean became famous in the 1990s when he was a member of the R&B and reggae group The Fugees, which released hits such as "Ready or Not" and a cover of the song "Killing Me Softly". He has since concentrated on a solo career and his charity the Yele Foundation, which provides support to survivors of the Haiti earthquake.
Meanwhile, Jean’s former Fugees bandmate, Pras, has endorsed Jean’s opponent Michel Martell, calling him "the most competent candidate for the job."
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