Ramon Espinosa / AP Photo
Has Wyclef Jean taken a page from the Dick Cheney playbook? The rap star is in hiding after allegedly receiving death threats following his announcement that he wants to run for president of Haiti. From a secret location, Jean is waiting on election officials to rule whether he is eligible to campaign for the presidency of the country ravaged by an earthquake several months ago. If he gets the OK, the rapper will be one of dozens of candidates for the office. Jean did not elaborate on who was making the threats. If allowed to run, he’d be the instant frontrunner, though he faces criticism for having moved from Haiti when he was 9 years old and for only making infrequent visits there since. Haiti’s rules call for a candidate to have made the country his “habitual residence” and to have lived there at least five years in a row before election day. Jean argues that he’s exempt from residency requirements because in 2007 he was appointed a roving ambassador by President René Préval.