Eurovision passions rising


After giving out the Eurofest selection contest results on February 14, 2012 it was announced that singer Alyona Lanskaya would represent the Republic of Belarus at the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest in Baku, Azerbaijan. However, her victory in viewer poll is believed to have been won by chicane: administrative resources might have been used to secure the selection of Ms. Lanskaya as Belarus’ Eurovision 2012 entry.

According to a number of media reports, president Alexander Lukashenka admittedly took into account a mounting public controversy and ordered to form a special committee which is to define whether the winner was appointed on an impartial basis.

However, Eurofest organizers have not yet drawn any official confirmation of the committee’s activities. «We do not have any official document to prove this fact. We contacted the presidential administration but no information on the subject was provided,» a source in the Belarusian television and radio broadcasting company told the Belarusian Private News Agency (BelaPAN).

In spite of the promise given on February 16, 2012 the Belarusian television and radio broadcasting company has not still shared the televoting interpretation online. Moreover, the press office of telecommunications monopoly Beltelecom, which organized the telephone vote among viewers, refused to give any comments.

President of the Eurofest selection contest jury Alexander Tsikhanovich states that he is not aware of the committee’s working as well. «It is the providers who were responsible for televoting. That particular result given was sounded. I can only add that we were divided on the point: the jury chose Litesound musical band whereas a majority of televotes was given to Alyona Lanskaya,» Mr. Tsikhanovich says.

Eurofest song contest organizers hope that «everything will be settled some of these days».

The final was held in Minsk on February 14. After alyona Lanskaya, a resident of Mahiliou, was announced the winner, her closest rival, Litesound band frontman Dzmitry Karakin, walked out of the ceremony in protest, while another runner-up, Hyunesh, did not even appear in the stage.

Both Dzmitry Karakin and Hyunesh beat Ms. Lanskaya in an online poll ahead of the national final for Eurovision 2012, with the former winning almost 48 percent of the vote and the latter 11.9 percent compared with 10.45 received by Ms. Lanskaya.

Belsat

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