Singer Wyclef Jean has been a denied a spot in the presidential election in Haiti, and plans to appeal the decision by Haiti’s board of elections  which stated that he is not a resident of Haiti. Wyclef was born in the island nation and claimed to People magazine that

the psychology of the Haitian people is something that I understand ever since birth.

But actor/activist Sean Penn–who created a 55,000-person tent camp/relief village through his own foundation, J/P Haitian Relief Organization and has lived in the country for several months–
expressed his concerns about the singer’s qualifications. In an interview with Larry King, Penn alleged that Wyclef Jean mishandled $400,000 in earthquake-relief donations and has been absent in the country.

This is somebody who’s going to receive an enormous amount of support from the United States, and I have to say I’m very suspicious of it.

Wyclef told People magazine that there are 4 million Haitians living outside the country who bring $2 billion in a year into the Haitian economy. The Haitian constitution requires that candidates be residents of Haiti for five years prior to the election.