Wyclef Jean Drops Out Of Presidential Race

Online, September 23, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Musician Wyclef Jean announced Tuesday he is no longer planning to run for president in his native Haiti in this November's election.

Jean, a vocal advocate for Haiti who has lived in the United States since he was a child, had previously said he intended to run for office to help his people in the aftermath of last January's devastating earthquake. He was later disqualified from the ballot because he did not meet a residency requirement, which he then appealed before officially dropping out of the race.

"This was not an easy conclusion to reach; 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 said in a statement explaining his decision to withdraw from the election.

"Some battles are best fought off the field, and that is where we take this now. ... 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." NEW YORK, Sept. 21 (UPI) --