Wyclef Jean's presidential candidacy in limbo

(CNN) -- A decision on who is eligible to run for president in Haiti has been postponed until Friday, leaving hip-hop artist Wyclef Jean and the other presidential hopefuls in limbo, said Berto Dorce, Jean's lawyer.

Haiti's election commission was scheduled to make a decision Tuesday night.

Jean's eligibility was under question after claims that he has not lived in Haiti for five consecutive years before the election, a mandate in the nation's Constitution.

Jean's lawyer said his client meets that criteria.

"His candidacy has been contested and we went to court and proved that he is legally entitled to run for president," Dorce said. "Jean's position is pretty strong. He should be on the list."

Dorce said Jean has been paying taxes in Haiti, which makes him eligible.

"Wyclef has been a shareholder of the local TV corporation called Telemax, and was paying taxes at least for five years; this was sufficient for the Justice of the Peace to issue a certificate of residence for Mr. Wyclef and confirm his residency," Dorce said.
Video: Wyclef wants to be president

Jean announced August 5 on "Larry King Live" amid fanfare that he had filled out the paperwork to run for president.

But since then, Jean's announcement has met with some criticism.

Pras, who once performed alongside Jean and Lauryn Hill in the '90s group The Fugees, said he supported Jean's opponent.

Actor Sean Penn, who has lived in Port-au-Prince for months helping displaced Haitians, also questioned whether the Haitian-born musician could make moves to lead the devastated nation.

And now, Jean said he has received multiple death threats.

"We have been getting threats since last night telling me if I know what's good for me, I would get out [of] the country," Jean wrote in an e-mail to CNN late Tuesday.

Jean's lawyer also talked about the alleged threats.

"Wyclef has been repeatedly getting anonymous threats from people who are saying that he should think twice before running for the president. We cannot tell who are sending these threats, but the closer the announcement, the more threats Jean is getting," Dorce said.

CNN's Soledad O'Brien contributed to this report.

via - www.cnn.com

Raw Video: Wyclef Jean Shares Ideas on Haiti

p hop artist and Haitian presidential hopeful Wyclef Jean said on Saturday that if elected, he will work to change Haiti's constitution to allow dual citizenship and give Haitians living abroad the right to vote. (August 14 2010)

Wyclef Jean: Haitians Abroad Should Get to Vote

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) Hip hop artist and presidential candidate Wyclef Jean says that if he is elected he will work to change Haiti's constitution to allow dual citizenship and give Haitians living abroad the right to vote.

The former Fugees frontman tells The Associated Press that Haitians abroad "should have the right to vote in their country," especially since they send billions in remittances to family members.

Currently, Haitians who emigrate can only hold citizenship in one country and must renounce their Haitian citizenship if they become citizens of another.

Wyclef, who was born in Haiti but raised in New York City, spoke to the AP Saturday night at a Port-au-Prince airport. He was arriving in Haiti after a concert in Belgium.

via - wnct.com

Ancora rappers tra le vittime del fisco americano − RnB & Hip Hop news

Cresce la lista dei rappers nel mirino dell’IRS. La task force appositamente creata per indagare sulle evasioni di rappers e sportivi, ha iscritto nel registro degli indagati, nomi come Wyclef Jean, Swizz Beatz, Young Buck e Obie Trice. Secondo il fisco americano, il neo candidato alla presidenza di Haiti, Wyclef Jean, attraverso la sua fondazione Yele Haiti, ha debiti che ammontano a 2.1 milioni di dollari, relativi agli anni 2006, 2007 e 2008. Il produttore Swizz Beatz, invece ha accumulato un debito di 2.1 milioni in tre diversi Stati tra il 2003 e il 2010. Infine, Obie Trice deve 298mila dollari e Young Buck si è visto addirittura pignorare computer, apparecchiature dello studio di registrazione, mobili, gioielli e altri oggetti per il suo arretrato di 300mila dollari. Per fare questo, le forze dell’ordine hanno fatto irruzione nella casa di Nashville dell’artista, sotto la minaccia delle armi lo scorso martedì 3 agosto 2010. “Sto cercando di prestare massima attenzione ora al team che si occupa delle mie tasse. L’intervento degli agenti IRS nella mia casa ha portato via tanto oggetti che è facile sostituire, ma trovo scandaloso che abbiano tolto i giochi ai miei figli”, ha dichiarato Young Buck

Ancora rappers tra le vittime del fisco americano − RnB & Hip Hop news

Former Fugees star Pras says he will not back Wyclef Jean in his bid for Haiti's presidency

NEW YORK - Wyclef Jean's presidential bid in Haiti is receiving criticism from his childhood friend and fellow Fugees bandmate, Pras.

The Haitian-born musician says he will not back Jean because he lacks a definitive plan to bring the island nation into the 21st century.

more via - Star Tribune

AP Interview: Wyclef Jean on Haiti, Finances

Hip-hop star Wyclef Jean defended himself against allegations of financial impropriety and laid out his visions for Haiti in an interview with The Associated Press. He arrived in the country Thursday to launch his presidential campaign. (August 6)

La star dell' HIP-HOP Wyclef Jean si è difeso dalle accuse di irregolarità finanziarie e ha presentato i suoi progetti per Haiti in un'intervista con l'Associated Press. Arrivato nel paese Giovedi per lanciare la sua campagna presidenziale.

-Translation via Mariangela Del Ricco

Official: Wyclef Jean to Run for Haiti President

(AP) Singer Wyclef Jean has filed the paperwork to run for president of his native Haiti.

The singer had released a statement that he was resigning the chairmanship of Yele Haiti effective immediately Thursday.

The hip hop star was greeted by dozens of supporters as he arrived Thursday with his wife and daughter at an electoral council office in Port-au-Prince. The deadline to file candidacy papers is Saturday. He had been fielding rumors of his candidacy for years.

The residency requirement could put Jean's candidacy in jeopardy from the start. The singer - whose age was until recently listed as 37 but whose brother said this week he is 40 - left Haiti as a child and lives primarily in the United States.

In an interview this week with The Associated Press, the brother said advisers believe he will be excused from the requirement because he has held a formal, at-large Haitian ambassadorship since 2007.

The winner of the Nov. 28 election will preside over the spending of billions in international aid for reconstruction from the Jan. 12 earthquake.