In the best traditions of star power translating into political dynamite, rapper Wyclef Jean is hoping his popularity can propel him into Haiti’s presidential palace.
An unnamed Haitian government official tells the Ottawa-area daily Le Droit the U.S. hip-hop star has handed in his nomination and is waiting for the paperwork to be finalized by next week’s deadline.
The election will take place on Nov. 28. It was originally scheduled for February and March, but was postponed because of the devastating earthquake in January.
The Haitian-born Mr. Jean rose to fame in the mid-1990s with his involvement with hip-hop trio The Fugees. His solo career, which took off in the late 1990s, produced such Billboard hits as 911 and Gone Till November. His popularity has waned in recent years.
Aside from his music, he is perhaps best known for acting as goodwill ambassador for Haiti, with the support of his uncle, Raymond Alcide Joseph, the island’s ambassador in Washington.
He also co-founded Yele Haiti, a non-profit organization that raises money to feed the hungry and fund community and educational programs.
Questions were raised about the foundation’s accounts earlier this year. The Washington Post reported the charity appeared to have more administrative expenses than a comparable organization, partly because of payments made to Mr. Jean and colleagues. These include US$100,000 Mr. Jean and a board member received for a 2006 concert.
Yesterday the rapper was invited to open the daily trading session at the Nasdaq in New York, where he appealed for international investment, saying, “Haiti is open for business.”
Although observers say the college dropout is charismatic with a heart of gold, he has zero political experience. But that is not necessarily a disadvantage, says Nelson Wiseman, a political science associate professor at University of Toronto.
“In terms of getting elected, whoever is the most popular normally get elected. If experience trumped popularity, then Paul Martin should have won the election over [Stephen] Harper,” Mr. Wiseman said.
“Look what happened with Belinda Stronach — I had never heard of her and I’ve been following politics for decades in Canada. All of a sudden, because her daddy
had money and she had blonde hair, she was on the front of the Globe.”
Ronald Reagan, he reminded, was a Bmovie actor before he entered the White House.
A publicist for Mr. Jean did not deny the rumours about his presidential aspirations, nor did the rapper’s family.
“Wyclef’s commitment to his homeland and its youth is boundless, and he will remain its greatest supporter regardless of whether he is part of the government moving forward,” the family said in a statement.
Current president, Rene Preval, first served from 1996-2001 and was re-elected in 2006. He won’t be running in the fall because the country’s constitution disallows him from seeking another term. His administration has been criticized for its handling of the earthquake’s aftermath.
But Haiti’s next leader will need more than popularity to tackle its problems. It remains the poorest country in the Western hemisphere and lacks even the most basic infrastructure.
It has suffered four major hurricanes and severe deforestation, and is still reeling from January’s earthquake, in which more than 200,000 people died. Politically, it has seen successive rebellions and international interventions that have ousted unpopular leaders. None of this is likely to change quickly.
Only about 10% of the US$5-billion pledged in aid after the earthquake has been delivered. A UN report says 1.6 million people are still living in makeshift camps.
Mr. Wiseman said it’s unlikely Mr. Jean would be much help, since star quality and international recognition will not save a dysfunctional government. He points to California, whose star-power governor has been unable to prevent the state from teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.
“Being prominent in some way does attract people to you. That’s why [Arnold] Schwarzenegger got elected,” he said.
“Has he improved things in California? I mean, things are completely falling apart now…. Maybe it would have been a little better had Gray Davis remained governor. But it doesn’t matter how good you are, how smart you are — it helps, but what counts is if people are willing to vote for you.”
In his view, Michaelle Jean, recently named UNESCO special envoy to Haiti, would be a more welcome contender.
By Terrine Friday.