Wyclef Jean Wants Haiti's Electoral Council Jailed for Shutting Him Out
New Jersey guy Wyclef Jean is still whining about being disqualified from a presidential election in a country that he doesn't live in. So he wrote a song! In it, he says the electoral council should be thrown in prison.
The song was released on Wednesday on Wyclef's Twitter account, with the message, "This is my new song contesting the CEP, in Creole. We want equal rights and justice!" Because everyone knows that millionaires are treated unfairly, even in poor countries where they should be worshipped for being awesome. He recorded the song in Creole to hit back at his critics who say he doesn't know shit about Haiti, and the electoral council and the president of Haiti for not allowing him to run even though it would break a sovereign nation's laws.
Newsweek spoke with two people fluent in Creole, who translated the song's lyrics. Wyclef is mad as hell at current Haitian President René Préval, who he calls "Lucifer," and the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), whose members he says should be sent to prison. And as for "Lucifer," Wyclef asks in the song, "I voted for you for president in 2006, why do you reject my candidacy today?" Seriously, can't the president of Haiti be counted on to break the law, especially for a famous man like Wyclef?
Here's Newsweek's full translation of Wyclef's "Prison for the CEP"—
I am going to challenge, going to challenge, going to court to challenge
Look, they disqualified Wyclef,
They say that Wyclef does not speak Creole. He's the candidate from the diaspora.
Even my Haitian people, they curse me on Facebook, when they heard that I was running for president, they said Wyclef should be barred ...
Even the priests of the Catholic Church were shocked. They said I left Petit-Goâve for Les Cayes ...
All the weekend I was celebrated the feast of Our Lady. I disqualified.
Port Salut disqualified, children cried
There are activists/militants who said I made a deal with Préval.
But I didn't do a deal with Préval,
It was a president asked to see a candidate. I could not refuse it ...
I only told him I'd come back. When I got there he served me coffee ...
He wanted to assure our friendship. He told me I was a good candidate.
He put me on the phone with Jude Celestin. We had a good talk.
Afterward Préval barred me.
Even though you say that the decision came from the Provisional Electoral Council, I know you hold all the cards.
I voted for you for president in 2006, why do you reject my candidacy today?
You didn't reject Wyclef. You rejected the youth.
You didn't reject Wyclef. You rejected the people.
You didn't reject Wyclef. You rejected the fellow hawking sweets on the street.
You didn't reject Wyclef. You rejected the peasants.
They rejected Wyclef. Some people say that I went to [the] Saut d'Eau [falls] to get some special powers.
But I just went there to bathe in the falls.
If I had gone there to get special powers, perhaps I would not have been disqualified.
The CEP [Provisional Electoral Council] disqualified me.
Don't forget my father was a Rev. Minister. The God who is with me is stronger than Lucifer.
Lucifer is in control of the CEP. The Satan disqualified me. The children of God cannot be barred.
Fas a Fas. Jen Kore Jen. Front to Front. We want education for all for us to get there. In the schools, we want to get there. In the universities, we want to get there.
Youth sector, peasant sector, we will not allow them to trample on our rights. We must get there.
Black bandanna. Red bandanna. Red and blue.
We're all the same. Haiti is our lady. Let it not break our hearts.
Before I go to bed, I always read a psalm.
I pray to Hosanna: get the people out from under the rubble, and send Archangel Gabriel to protect the women living in the tents where they are being raped ...
Wyclef Jean, indeed, I will continue to challenge the CEP. We must remain mobilized. I won't give up.
Face to face, lies lose.
Never mind the fact that Wyclef is really, really bad with money. There's one thing that Haiti doesn't need — an asshole like Wyclef Jean issuing not so veiled threats against that country's elected leaders and legal system. Please shut up, Wyclef.
[Image via Getty]