WYCLEF JEAN TO APPEAR ON CNN'S 'LARRY KING LIVE' TO ANNOUNCE RUN FOR HAITIAN PRESIDENCY, THURSDAY, AUG. 5, 2010, 9 P.M. EST
August 5th, 2010
After weeks of speculation, and hundreds of news stories, Haitian-born musician and humanitarian Wyclef Jean will appear on “Larry King Live” to announce his plans to run for president of Haiti. Jean, a Grammy Award winner and U.N. goodwill ambassador to Haiti, will make his candidacy official in an interview with Wolf Blitzer, who’s guest-hosting while King is away. Jean will be one of a number of candidates seeking to replace Haiti’s current president, René Préval, who has reached his term limit and is not eligible to run again.
Jean was born in Haiti and, despite immigrating to the U.S. at the age of 9, has maintained both his Haitian citizenship as well as a tireless commitment to improving conditions in his native country. Considered the most popular Haitian in the world, Jean has leveraged the recognition and access afforded by his successful musical career to attract global attention and assistance to Haiti. In his role as Haiti’s goodwill ambassador, Jean traveled the world, forging partnerships and garnering financial and resource commitments from political leaders, corporations, celebrities and individuals.
Jean announced today that he has resigned from the leadership role he holds in Yéle Haiti, the Haiti-based grassroots-styled non-governmental organization (NGO) he co-founded in 2005. Yéle Haiti, which uses sports, media and the arts to educate and empower Haitians from every walk of life, has been extremely effective in bringing meaningful change to Haiti. Since its founding, the organization has placed more than 10,000 children in primary school and provided jobs, food, shelter and educational/cultural opportunities to scores of teens and adults. Yéle’s post earthquake relief efforts raised $9 million and ensured that displaced Port-au-Prince residents had temporary housing and a reliable resource for critical supplies.
The election, postponed from Feb. 28 due to the massive earthquake that struck the country in January of this year, is scheduled to take place Nov. 28, 2010.
DATE: Thursday, Aug. 5, 2010
TIME: Broadcast airs live 9PM EST/8PM Haiti
PLACE: Le Plaza Haiti Hotel, Port-au-Prince