Is enthusiasm enough to win a presidency?

The United States had Ronald Reagan, the Philippines had Joseph Estrada. Will another famous artiste become the head of a nation as the year reaches its end?

Criticised for his lack of political experience, among other things, famous Haitian American rapper, musician and producer, Wyclef Jean, is determined to be the next President of Haiti this November.

Worried about his eligibility, Jean waited with bated breath yesterday for the list of approved candidates expected to be unveiled in the afternoon. Unfortunately, Haiti's electoral board proclaimed yesterday it had decided to postpone the release of the much-awaited list until tomorrow (August 20).

Haiti's general election, slated to be held on February 28 this year, was postponed to November 28 due to a devastating earthquake which had struck the island in January.

How had Haiti, Latin America's first independent nation, go so far down the ladder over 200 years, to be listed as the poorest country in the Americas (according to the United Nations' Human Development Index report)?

Haiti's poverty is one of the main factors prompting the founding member of award-winning Hip Hop group The Fugees, to make his bid for the embattled island's presidency. Despite his wealth and fame, he finds himself encountering a variety of obstacles, including his citizenship status, taxes owed in the US, alleged financial mismanagement of his Yele Haiti Foundation and his non-fluency in French (the island's official language although Haitian Creole is widely spoken).

In an ITN report, Jean said "one of the laws that needs to be changed" is the dual citizenship factor. Haitians who have left the island to work abroad, he said, should be allowed to vote in their motherland "because they are the ones that are keeping their country alive". Jean, who left Haiti for the US at the age of nine, said Haiti needs investment, not just aid. In an Al Jazeera report, he said that the Haitian diaspora "are sending back home US$2 billion per year, so they need a candidate that they all believe in and they are comfortable with".

A UN goodwill ambassador for Haiti, Jean said he is called to run for president because "for the past 200 years, the youth population has not been included in the plan and over 53 per cent of the population is the youth population". To be taken seriously, Jean need to outline a comprehensive recovery plan for the disaster-struck country, as well as ways to bolster the economy.

Jean counters criticisms of his residential status by saying that "we don't need a local president but we need a global president"; someone who can travel and meet donors who have promised Haiti US$5.3 billion in aid. He said the world needs to know that "Haiti is real".

So, who will be the next Haitian head of state to replace President Rene Preval? Apart from Jean, 33 other candidates are vying for the position, including two former prime ministers, a former first lady and his uncle Raymond Joseph, a former ambassador to the US.

Jean counters criticisms of his political inexperience by promoting it as an asset. Jean said he has fresh ideas " ... and the fact that I'm coming into this with fresh eyes, but not naive ears ... I think that's a good start."