HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — After weeks of speculation, Wyclef Jean will announce his plans to run for president of Haiti this week, Time magazine reports.
Jean, a native of Haiti, must finalize his presidential bid by Aug. 7. The country, which suffered a devastating earthquake in January, will elect their new leader on Nov. 28.
"If not for the earthquake, I probably would have waited another 10 years before doing this," Jean, 37, said of his political plans. "The quake drove home to me that Haiti can't wait another 10 years for us to bring it into the 21st century."
Jean will be looking to replace current President Rene Preval, whose term ends in February. His bid for the top post has been rumored for weeks.
"I can't sing forever," he recently told CNN when asked about the political rumors.
Jean has been an outspoken proponent of the country through his Yele Haiti Foundation. He was also one of the first celebrities to pledge support after January's earthquake.
The singer left Haiti for the U.S. when he was 9. He has always maintained his Haitian citizenship, which is a requirement for running for president.
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