Hip hop superstar Wyclef Jean denied allegations from the Haitian electoral council that he is not eligible to run for the Haitian presidency, today on MSNBC. Jean claimed that the allegations are “propaganda” and promised to “unveil the truth in the corruption of the electoral council in Haiti.” Jean told Contessa Brewer that he possesses documents proving his residency and domain, and that the Haitian electoral council wants to stand in the way of his “21st-century” approach to governing the distressed nation.
The interview is available at:
Full transcript is below. If used, please credit MSNBC.
Contessa: With much of Haiti’s capital city in ruins six months after a devastating earthquake, many families may be looking to the presidential elections and the promise of new leadership, with hope and something bordering on desperation. Hip hop star Wyclef Jean wants to lead the nation in that new era. But the election officials say he's not eligible. The rules say Haitians must actually live in that country for five years before a presidential campaign, and he's lived in the United States. Still, Jean is vowing to appeal. He's with me on the phone today. Wyclef Jean, good to talk to you today.
Wyclef: It's great to talk to you too.
Contessa: So the rules seem fairly straightforward. So how do you go about appealing that decision?
Wyclef: The rule that they're sending you is propaganda, because the electoral council is very corrupted. We have a piece of paper we will send you within the next hour that will show that Wyclef Jean has had residency and domain in Haiti for the past five years. The reason why I'm appealing is—understand what's going on—if I let this get through, you have kids that are 8 and 9 years old in Haiti that are prostitutes. The government doesn’t care about them. You have the kidnapping situation in Haiti. It’s important that I unveil the truth in the corruption of the electoral council in Haiti going on right now.
Contessa: Let's go back. You’re going to provide proof that you have lived in Haiti for five years? I thought you've been living in the United States?
Wyclef: No, you see, this is propaganda. The electoral council says that you have to have residence in Haiti within five years. We have papers that show me and my family, we have been in Haiti--
Contessa: And how much time have you spent there?
Wyclef: I have spent half of my life in Haiti going back and forth.
Contessa: But in the last five years, I mean.
Wyclef: First of all, in the last five years I’ve been in Haiti back and forth. And let me give you something else. The president who ran for president in 2006, I voted for him with an electoral card. I could not have voted for the president if I did not have residence in Haiti, just so you be clear.
Contessa: So Wyclef, why does it have to be the role of president? If you're concerned about child kidnappings and the future of Haiti, aren't you in a position to lead regardless of the official title?
Wyclef: To your point, what happens is that the country has been led by so much corruption, right? When you're talking about leading a country in a population of youth, which is over 52% of the population, it starts with the leadership of president, trickles down to the parliament, and follows on. And I said Haiti do not need a local president, it needs a global president to address the issues.
Contessa: So let me ask you. If you're concerned about corruption, how would you answer critics who say that you've had your own financial troubles. I mean, there was more than a $2 million lien on your house in New Jersey because of tax issues --
Wyclef: That's all taken care of.
Contessa: Ok, so you took care of that, but it happened nevertheless.
Wyclef: That's not called corruption. That’s not corruption.
Contessa: Let me finish.
Wyclef: Corruption is when you're stealing from people—that’s corruption.
Contessa: Okay. Let me finish. That there was a mansion in Miami that was foreclosed on.
Wyclef: That's not called corruption, though.
Contessa: Right. But there are financial leadership questions about your experience --
Wyclef: Financial leadership within a country, right, has to do with what's called who is the --
Contessa: Absolutely, Wyclef. But I’m getting to the point. There are questions about your financial capacity to lead. There are questions about your charity being interwoven with this campaign. For example, let me tell the viewers what the example is and then I’d love for you to address it. The New York Times says, for instance, there was a guy who applied for a job and says he was asked for his electoral card. Those without them were turned away. It makes it appear as though the campaign and the charity are interwoven.
Wyclef: Can I answer that one, please?
Contessa: Yeah, please.
Wyclef: The reason why you ask for the electoral card, it's sort of like in the United States, right? Because the electoral card would have your number, which is like your social security card number on it. And in order for us to give them a job, we have to get that social security card number. That card number is on the electoral card. That’s a legal issue.
Contessa: And how do you answer the critics who question the payout from the charity to your television station?
Wyclef: Did you notice -- did you -- you said what the New York Times said. But did you notice my response?
Contessa: Here's the New York Times from August 22nd. Mr. Jean has blurred boundaries between his personal business and Yele Haiti’s mission, using his production company for benefit concerts that he headlined. How do you answer those questions?
Wyclef: My response to the New York Times, if you read my letter, what I said is that I can't fight people that are hiding, that are giving them false information. Every information that we've given is clear. We have never -- I have personally, Wyclef Jean has never used Yele Haiti money to benefit anything that I’ve done. And we have documents and we’ve shown stuff. And if there's ex-employees that used to work for Yele that are downing Yele Haiti, they have to come up and show us what they're talking about. Everything I’m talking about is based on facts. If you're talking about the New York Times, please read my response back to the New York Times. And the bottom line to it, the issue is, it's about the people of Haiti that is facing an election right now, which is going to be determined by the electoral council, which is completely corrupted. And as a young Haitian, I’m not going to let that go down like that.
Contessa: And Wyclef, I appreciate so much you've been willing to answer those questions. But do you think that the fact the questions were raised at all, the fact that critics do have questions about the influence of your charity in your campaign. Is that why, do you think, the Haitian officials aren't willing to bend the rules to include you moving forward?
Wyclef: No, not at all. Because if you follow what's going on with them, there are people they're letting run that still have not been de-charged within the government. Which is, once again, that's an act in violation of the Haitian constitution. There are people that they are letting run that only has been resident within three years. So I ask you in a disciplined manner, please look at the document that I am sending you. The reason why they do not want Wyclef Jean to run for the president of Haiti, because my form of leadership would be a 21st century one where our focus would be on education for the youth, which is in the constitution. They’re supposed to give free education and job creation. And they want everything to go through a monopoly. These next five years, it's about the rebuilding of Haiti. Reconstruction, a lot of contracts are coming in. I feel that the Haitian people should be part of rebuilding their country. That’s why I was running.
Contessa: I really appreciate that you've come on with us, that you've talked a little bit. And I know that your native land is facing incredible challenges and obstacles in the years ahead and certainly does need strong leadership. Wyclef Jean, thank you so much for your time.
Wyclef: Thank you so much, bye.