Wyclef Jean might have had his dream of becoming Haiti’s president shattered last year, but the singer says he’s not ruling out running again.
The singer told Mail Online that he got ‘bamboozled’ out of his last presidential campaign and says it didn’t have anything to do with not meeting residency requirements in the country.
He said: ‘I want my followers to get the idea out of their heads that Wyclef didn’t have residency and that’s why he didn’t make president, I got bamboozled.'
Born performer: Wyclef Jean grabbed the microphone at London Studios, but hasn't ruled out running for Haitian presidency again;
Wyclef continued: ‘There’s politics and there’s a pile of tricks.
'In Haiti there is currently no one that is running the country that has been there continuously for the last five years.
‘And at the time I was running, I was the roaming ambassador at large, so how can you be a roaming ambassador without leaving the country? That doesn’t exist.'
After the singer’s bid for candidacy was rejected by Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council in August 2010, former pop star Michel ‘Sweet Mickey’ Martelly was elected president with the backing of Wyclef.
But the Fugees star says he will consider re-running for the job again in five years time.
He said: ‘At the moment I will work with more of my allies and physically be there more than I was last year and then in five years from now consider whether I’m going to re-run.
Man of many talents: Wyclef sis in London to hold a 'Zumbathon' charity concert for Breakthrough Breast Cancer;
‘But it’s not about re-running right now, it’s about working with the current president and think about how we can shape the policies in place now.
‘I want to work with the president on foreign investment and an education programme and be clear that Haiti is open for business.’
Jean also said that there’s no reason why Haiti shouldn’t be thought of as a tourist destination and its white sand beaches are in the process of being developed.
‘People might say Haiti is the most dangerous place, but I say if you can get on a plane and go to Mexico, you can damn sure go to Haiti, because compared to Mexico, Haiti is Walt Disney.’
The 41-year-old is currently in London while touring with the creator of Zumba fitness program, Beto Perez.
Wyclef and the Colombian choreographer, who created the Latin-inspired fitness program, are holding a ‘Zumbathon’ charity concert in London on Sunday to raise money for Breakthrough Breast Cancer.
Wyclef will be performing his single Historia at the event, which will see 3,500 people take part in the Zumba class at Alexandra Palace as part of the Party in Pink campaign.
Ten per cent of every iTunes download of Historia will also be donated to the charity.
Wyclef also revealed that he is working on a new album, Feel Good Music, by the Refugee Soundsystem, and is hoping to start a world tour in June next year.
When music meets politics: Wyclef speaks to a crowd of supporters after submitting paperwork to run for president of Haiti in August 2010;
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