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Looks like we won't be calling Wyclef Jean "Mr. President" anytime soon. The rapper has officially withdrawn his candidacy for President of Haiti
"This was not an easy conclusion to reach," Jean announced in a statement Tuesday. "But it is one that was thoughtfully made, taking into account many, many competing factors and weighing the course that will best advance the healing of the country and help it find the quickest path to recovery."
Jean, 40, had announced his intent to run for President of his native country in August, but Haiti's Provincial Electoral Council disqualified the singer because he hadn't lived in the country for five years prior. The music man appealed the decision at first, but has now decided to return to making music. His album If I Were President, the Haitian Experience will be released in February 2011, and he has plans to head out on tour in the summer.
"Some battles are best fought off the field, and that is where we take this now," Jean said, adding that he doesn't regret his attempts to appeal the Council's decision. "It's not about my candidacy -- this appeal was meant to address the shortcomings of the process for every Haitian. Though my run for the presidency was cut short, in this way, I feel it was not in vain; it's something we can use to improve conditions for my Haitian brothers and sisters."
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