Haitian singer Wyclef Jean weighing up presidential bid

In a statement sent to the media on Tuesday, the family of the former Fugees star, who has served as ambassador-at-large under the current Haitian government, confirmed for the first time that he was considering putting his hip-hop infused music career on the back burner to run for Haiti's top job.

“Wyclef's commitment to his homeland and its youth is boundless, and he will remain its greatest supporter regardless of whether he is part of the government moving forward,” the statement said.

“At this time, Wyclef Jean has not announced his intent to run for Haitian president. If and when a decision is made, media will be alerted immediately,” it said without elaborating.

Jean was born in Haiti but raised in New York. He is wildly popular in Haiti, where half of the population is under age 21. Many Haitians see him as a figure of hope and inspiration for a country with a turbulent history.

Candidates in the Caribbean nation's November 28 presidential and legislative elections have until August 7 to register.

Speculation about the singer hopping into the ring of presidential contenders has grown since Haiti's devastating January 12 quake, which killed as many as 300,000 people and has left some 1.5 million survivors still living under tarpaulins and in temporary tent cities.

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