Tuesday, June 21, 2011

What is the fuss about Wyclef Jean’s dismissal?

Published in the Editorials of the Haitian Times – Week of September 22 -28, 2011

As a Political Scientist, I was offended, upset and embarrassed by the candidacy of Wyclef Jean.  I tried not to write about it but his reluctance to let go forced me to put my two cents in this drama.

I was offended because of the value I put in having a good education and a university degree; upset because I felt that Mr. Jean was ill advised and embarrassed because I know Haiti has better choices.

I was actually in Haiti the day he declared his candidacy and watching his followers dancing and chanting as they gathered throughout the neighborhood of Delmas was pitiful.  These are children with their pants way down the waist not knowing why they are supporting him besides his fame.

Before traveling to Haiti in early August, as it was evident that Mr. Jean would announce his candidacy as a contender for Haiti’s president, I was stunned when one of my colleagues came to my office and said to me “how low can Haiti go, Wyclef for president?”, as if to make fun of me.  I am sure that I am not the only Haitian to whom this has been said.  My concern now is how Haiti is being perceived by the world after Wyclef’s bid?  Whatever it is, it can’t be good. 

Lately, there has been a fuss about the dismissal of Mr. Jean’s bid for the presidency of Haiti.  As Haitian, Mr. Jean has the right to run for president provided that he is eligible.  As it turns out, he is not eligible to run for president of Haiti.  Whether or not we agree with it, among other things, the 1987 constitution of Haiti clearly states that a five consecutive years of residency inside the country is required for anyone to be eligible to run for president.  Mr. Jean does not meet this requirement and therefore forfeits his bid for the presidency of Haiti. Did he not know that one would ask such a fundamental question?  Apparently not.

It is important to note that back in January 2007, Mr. Jean was officially named a Roving Ambassador to Haiti by president Préval for his resilient work in lobbying the US Government to pass a trade bill (the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity Through Partnership Encourage Act (HOPE) that would benefit Haiti’s textile industry and for his support of Haiti through his Yélé Haiti foundation.  Mr. Jean argues that because of his diplomatic status as a Roving Ambassador he should be considered as a resident of Haiti.  Here he is using the Vienna Convention to establish his residency status.

By the Vienna Convention, the residency right of the Ambassador does not apply to Wyclef.  Mr. Jean is an honorary ambassador and we should understand the difference between his post and that of his uncle, Raymond Joseph.  He does not represent Haiti to any given Country and that is the difference.  Perhaps I should define what is known by Embassy and Ambassador.  


In addition, I would say that his advisers failed him greatly.  First, if he wanted to do more for Haiti, he should have run for Mayor of Croix-Des-Bouquets and prove himself.  By contrast, we have lowered the ladder of the presidency so low that anybody is thought to be presidential in Haiti.  It’s a shame what is going on back home in Haiti.  As I said in my prior articles and I will say it again; the electoral process in Haiti has become a joke and the presence of Sweet Micky and Wyclef Jean amongst others is living proof of it.


As hard as it is for me to say, I must admit that the CEP deserves some credit for foreseeing the danger of a Wyclef’s presidency. One doesn’t have to be genius to know that Wyclef would have introduced a new meaning to Press Conferences if he was president.  Responding to his critics, instead of facing his critics right on, Mr. Jean as president would circulate a rap song to the Press.  I am not inventing this notion but it is logical to say that he would respond to his critics in form of a song or, perhaps I should say, in rapping.  Come on give me a break; is this what Haiti deserve? This is a country not a backyard.

The best advice to Mr. Jean is to quit his bid for Haiti’s president and start working on repairing his image.  You can’t have it both ways, Mr. Jean.  Lose the mic and the guitar should you want to be taken seriously; and avoid having to response to your critics by rapping.  I would also advice him to write a song entitled “I don’t have to be president to help my fellow countrymen” as his punishment for embarrassing the country and the citizens of Haiti.

 We should also not ignore the fact that the notion of a Wyclef and Sweet Micky’s candidacy is not without merit.  This is a domino effect reflecting on the leadership inside Haiti’s political arena.  Given, we have elected Préval twice; does that mean we should keep going down the ladder? Are we to go back to Tonton Nord’s era?  This is not the time to play around especially in this post earthquake era. 


By: Edrys Erisnor
       Political Scientist

No comments:

Post a Comment