Artist News

Jean unable to appeal Haiti election decision

By | Published on Wednesday 25 August 2010

Wyclef Jean will not be able to appeal the decision to disqualify him from standing in the upcoming Haitian presidential election, a lawyer for the country’s electoral council said yesterday.

As previously reported, Jean’s plans to stand needed court approval because the former Fugee does not pass requirements in the country’s constitution regarding presidential candidates, mainly regarding citizenship and being resident in Haiti for five years before running. When that court failed to give its approval, Jean vowed to appeal.

However, speaking to Reuters, Samuel Pierre of the Haitian Electoral Council’s legal department said that there is no process by which rejected candidates can appeal. Pierre said: “There is absolutely no possibility for Wyclef Jean to be added to the list of candidates approved to run in the next presidential elections. So, it’s over. [Attempting to appeal the decision] is a waste of time because, when it comes to electoral matters, the electoral council is the Supreme Court, meaning there is nowhere else to go”.

In an interview with MSNBC yesterday, Jean said: “I have spent half my life in Haiti going back and forth. The Electoral Council is very corrupted”.



READ MORE ABOUT: