Haitian-American musician Wyclef Jean fired back Tuesday at critics of his plan to run for president of Haiti, including one of his former band mates.

Jean applied to enter the race last Thursday, filing papers in the capital Port-au-Prince as several hundred fans cheered along the earthquake-ravaged streets.

But Jean's application also triggered a wave of backlash, with many – including celebrities Sean Penn and Jean's former Fugees band mate Pras Michel – saying he isn't qualified to lead a country.

"Well, the first thing is, I guess there won't be another Fugees album," Jean joked in an interview with CTV's CanadaAM on Tuesday. Michel has endorsed Michel Martelly, another musician intending to run for president.

Jean said Michel "is entitled to his opinion," but added the two haven't spoken in 10 years.

Penn, who has made several charity trips to Haiti, has accused Jean of staying out of the country since the January earthquake. He has also questioned the musician's handling of funds donated to Yele Haiti, the nonprofit he ran until stepping down Thursday in anticipation of the presidential race.

The rapper praised Penn's work in Haiti but dismissed the actor's accusations.

"The area that Sean Penn occupies in the … golf club is an area that I haven't really been around," he said. "The idea that he can't find me when I'm in Haiti, that's because I'm out doing the work in another area of Haiti."

Jean has consistently denied allegations that he mismanaged funds donated to Yele Haiti. On Tuesday, he dismissed new allegations that he and his wife owe the U.S. government $5.2 million in back taxes.

"I would never go into this situation and say that I want to lead my country and have a problem with the IRS," he said.

The star said his platform will focus on education and agriculture, "to take Haiti and navigate it to the 21st century." Support from the Haitian diaspora is key in helping the country recover, he said.

The election is set for Nov. 28, and the winner will manage billions of dollars in foreign aid flowing in to the Caribbean country.

Haiti is struggling to recover from the Jan. 12 earthquake that killed some 300,000 people and levelled thousands of buildings in and around Port-au-Prince.

Under Haiti's constitution, presidential candidates must have resided in the country for the past five years and must not have held foreign citizenship. A panel of eight officials will review applications by presidential hopefuls. The list of approved candidates will be released Aug. 17.

Jean has said that he is exempt from the residency condition because he was appointed as a roving ambassador for the country in 2007.

The musician-turned-politician was born on the fringes of Port-au-Prince but grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He gained notoriety after joining the Fugees, whose album "The Score" sold in the millions and won a Grammy.

With files from The Associated Press