Do you think Wyclef can be a good president?

This past week the media has been buzzing about wyclef you just have to type in his name in a search engine and you will see what is about!

Wyclef for president?

I do not know wyclef personally but I have read a lot about him. He left Haiti at the age of nine years old with his family to leave in the US but nevertheless he has never forgotten his homeland. He went to become a very famous artist selling millions albums with fugees and went solo and sold some more.

Wyclef has always represented Haiti positively whether in other countries at the Emmy’s, Grammy’s , before the congress and all around the world. He is the pride of our country to say the least. A lot of people are afraid to let others know that they are from Haiti but he made his mission to let people know about Haiti. He has his charity Yele Haiti which his tackling several social projects in Haiti and has raised the interests of many “big shot people” about the cause of Haiti. He has poured a lot of momey toward Haiti.

He is very popular! I remember one time he was in Haiti and people began shouting Wyclef for President and there was even an alleged plot to assassin him.

Want it or not the man is well known internationally and nationally. He is a multi-millionaire!

There are many many more good things about him but I wanted to focus on this point for today! Keep in mind so far he is popular and he has a lot of money himself, he has helped the country a lot being recognized around the world wherever he goes.

Now, is that enough? I have heard people saying this is like having a rapper here who becomes president! The fact that he is popular and has enough money would that qualify him to be the president of Haiti? How about the experience in politics? Wouldn’t it be better to have someone who knows politics to manage our country?

Then again, we have had so many intellectual presiding this country in the past centuries what have they done? Of course they could speak french better that a French and would come up with the most persuasive speech but that how far it goes.

I mention about him being rich why? Well, the richer you are I think the least likely you are to be corrupted and the more focus you will be on the need of the people. Of course I know for many the richer you are the richer you wanna be. This is a tough call that needs debating!

I guess we are at a point where we need change and shouldn’t we try someone coming from a very different perspective whether it is wyclef or anyone else from the Diaspora? Yes we spent two centuries trying the same kind of people and history will prove that just a few succeeded with the country!

We are talking about change everywhere isn’t time that we talk about it and see it really in Haiti? Whatever the point of view is when he makes his announcement and when it is time to go to vote the people will decide who incarnates change! I wish Wyclef success and may God bless whoever becomes president  of Haiti because there is a bog challenge awaiting and the people of Haiti and all around the world will be watching and judging! Let the best candidate win!

I hope you can share your points with me with respects to others opinion!

Wyclef Jean: Grammy Award-Winning President?

Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images

                                                 Musician Wyclef Jean promotes Haiti earthquake relief efforts at the National Action Network     on Jan. 27 in New York

                                           

Wyclef Jean is considering a run to become Haiti's next president.

The hip-hop singer, philanthropist and former Fugees band member recently told CNN that he has filed the necessary paperwork to become an official candidate. But according to a statement from the Jean camp, he has yet to declare:
At this time, Wyclef Jean has not announced his intent to run for Haitian president. If and when a decision is made, media will be alerted immediately.  Please let us know if we can help with anything else.
Is he eligible to run?
Whether Jean is qualified to lead the country is another conversation, but he might be eligible. According to the Haitian constitution (Article 135, to be exact), in order to be elected president one must:

a. Be a native-born Haitian and never have renounced Haitian nationality;

(Jean was born in Haiti. He has maintained his Haitian citizenship.)

b. Have attained 35 years of age by the election day;

(He will be 38 in October, in time for the nation's election on Nov. 28.)

c. Enjoy civil and political rights and never have been sentenced to death, personal restraint or penal servitude or the loss of civil rights for a crime of ordinary law;

(Well, there was that arrest for disorderly conduct in 2002. Would that qualify as "personal restraint"?)

d. Be the owner in Haiti of at least one real property and have his habitual residence in the country;

(This could be tricky. Wyclef Jean has lived primarily in the New York-New Jersey area since he was a kid. Although he owns the Haitian television network Telemax and that could count for "real property," his "habitual residence" in the country could be up for debate.)

e. Have resided in the country for five consecutive years before the date of the elections;

(The key word here is "consecutive" years. Again, this could be tricky.)

f. Have been relieved of his responsibilities if he has been handling public funds.

(Jean runs the Yele Haiti charity, which is a nonprofit group, but he is not a public official with any budget oversight responsibilities.)

The Weight Of Star Power

And although it's not a qualification in order to be elected, Jean does have lots of star power.

He has three Grammy Awards — two with the Fugees (the '90s group in which he performed with fellow singer and former lover Lauryn Hill) and one for his role as a producer on the album Supernatural by Carlos Santana.

His charity Yele Haiti has come under scrutiny since the January earthquake, for mismanagement of funds (an allegation he challenged in a conversation with host Michel Martin), but boasts of having made major social advancements, including helping create more than 3,000 jobs in the impoverished nation.

Additionally, Jean is a goodwill ambassador for Haiti and has been since 2007, when he was tapped for the post by current Haitian President Rene Preval to help promote positive images of Haiti abroad.

But there's one factor, should Jean decide to officially run for the high office, that could be awkward for voters (or at least at family dinners) — the singer's uncle, Raymond Joseph, is Haiti's ambassador to the United States, and he says he's running for president.

Interestingly, Jean released this song, "If I Was President," in 2008:

Related articles by Zemanta

• Wyclef Jean: Grammy Award-Winning President? (npr.org)
• Wyclef Jean Running For President of Haiti (brainz.org)

Source: (http://www.npr.org/blogs/tellmemore/2010/07/28/128832386/wyclef-jean-grammy-award-winning-president)

In their own words: Testimony of an eathquake survivor

Me: What is your name?

JSR: I am Junior Saint Rose

Me: Tell me a little bit about what happened?

J.S.R: It was January the twelve and I left my house to go to tutor some kids and since I finished with my duty I was getting ready to head back home then I heard a noise. First I thought the house was not well structured cause a part of it fail. I was on the second floor and I did not have time to make it to the stairs when the main support beam of the house fell on me with everything else. I thought I was dead since everything fell on me! The only reason I am alive today is because people from the house where I was tutoring the kids knew I did not make it and they came with some other people with hammer and stuff to extract me out.

Me: How did they know you where alive?
J.S.R: I didn't know cause I was under the rubble.

Me: Could you hear any sound?
J.S.R: No, I could not a thing and since the beam hit my arm very hard, I could not move either I stayed in one spot. I thought I was dead!

Me: Were there any people on the first floor?
J.S.R: Yes, they all had time to make it out ok. They could not come upstairs to where I was because it was all destroyed!

Me: How many people were there with you?
J.S.R: One the kids I was tutoring had a broken leg, he was running and fell and they could not do anything for me since the house collapsed on me.

Me: How long do you think you stayed under the rubble?
J.S.R: I spent the whole night! I could not hear a thing and even when they came to my rescue, I still could not hear a thing.

Me: What were you thinking while you were under the rumble?
J.S.R: Well, I was thinking about my life since I knew for sure there was no hope. I was praying God and at the same time, crying for help but no one came immediately!

Me: What kind of psychological impact does this have on you?
J.S.R: I still feel the earth trembling even when others around me do not and I am still afraid that it will happen again. I am afraid of getting under a concrete house.

Me: Thanks so very much for your time!
J.S.R: Thank you!

This exclusive interview was done on February 17, 2010. 

I had a second on camera interview with Junior and here it is: