TORONTO - Arcade Fire frontman Win Butler has spoken out against Wyclef Jean's run for the Haitian presidency.
Butler's wife and bandmate, Regine Chassagne, is Haitian-Canadian and the band has on several occasions sought to raise money for Haitian relief and rebuilding.
Jean, best-known for his role in the now-defunct R&B group the Fugees, announced his plans to run for the Haitian presidency earlier this summer.
In an interview with Sirius XMU, quoted on music webzine Pitchfork, Butler questioned whether Jean is a smart choice to run the country.
"Technically, (Wyclef Jean) shouldn't be eligible because he hasn't been a resident of Haiti," Butler said. "And I think him not speaking French and not being fluent in Creole would be a really major issue in trying to run a really complex government, like the government in Haiti.
"It would kind of be like Arnold Schwarzenegger only speaking Austrian and being elected president of the United States after New York City and L.A. had burned to the ground."
"I think he is a great musician and he really passionately cares about Haiti. I really hope he throws his support behind someone who is really competent and really eligible."
