Wyclef Jean abandons presidential bid in Haiti

New York: Wyclef Jean has abandoned his bid to become president of Haiti, the hip-hop star said in a statement Tuesday.

"After weeks of quiet but painstaking reflection with my wife and daughter, I have chosen to end my bid for the presidency of Haiti," the statement said. "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." Haiti was hit by an earthquake Jan 12 in which an estimated 222,750 people - or 2 percent of Haiti`s population - died. The next presidential elections are due to take place in late November. Jean and 14 other would-be candidates were rejected by the electoral commission for not fulfilling the criteria to run. One condition is that candidates must have lived in Haiti continuously for a period of five years. The Haiti-born star has lived in the US since childhood. Jean at first said he would appeal against the decision but then abandoned it. The Grammy winner, formerly with the band The Fugees, said he wanted instead to concentrate on his music in the future. His next album "If I Were President, the Haitian Experience" is due to be released in February 2011. IANS