Singer quits aid group to run for Haiti presidency

WYCLEF JEAN has stepped down as leader of the embattled aid group he founded as he prepares to formally declare his candidacy for the Haitian presidency.

The singer released a statement that he was resigning the chairmanship of Yele Haiti effective immediately.

The Brooklyn, NY-raised entertainer was headed to his native Haiti and was expected to officially file his election papers yesterday afternoon at the provisional electoral council in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince.

“I am not stepping down in my commitment to Haiti. On the contrary, regardless of what path I take next, one thing is certain — my focus on helping Haiti turn a new corner will only grow stronger,” Jean said in the statement.

Businessman Derek Q Johnson will take up the helm of the organisation.

Jean helped found Yele Haiti five years ago to raise money and build awareness of the myriad problems in his impoverished homeland.

It raised $9 million (€7m) in the wake of the January 12 earthquake that killed a government-estimated 300,000 people.

Of that, it has spent $1.5m on food, water, tents, clothes and other products for quake survivors, said Jean’s spokeswoman Cindy Tanenbaum.

The organisation — named for one of the former Fugee member’s songs — often worked in partnership with the United Nations and other agencies to implement its programmes, lending its name and Jean’s cache to help raise funds.

But Yele came under criticism when post-quake scrutiny revealed alleged improprieties including that it had paid Jean to perform at fundraising events and bought advertising air time from a television station he co-owns.

Jean tearfully defended the organisation in a news conference weeks after the quake. Yele also hired a new accounting firm after the allegations surfaced.

On Wednesday, The Smoking Gun website posted documents online indicating Jean personally owes $2.1m (€1.6m) in back taxes to the US government.

Tanenbaum declined to comment on the new allegations.

Jean was en route to Haiti and could not immediately be reached. He posted on Twitter: “Taking off on my way to Haiti me and my family About to make the biggest decision of our life (sic).”

Numerous candidates are expected to seek the presidency in Haiti’s November 28 election. They have until tomorrow to register.