Preparations for May’s Eurovision Song Contest in Ukraine have hit a roadbump, with 21 top organisers resigning en masse in an open letter.
“We, the Eurovision Song Contest team – for whom this competition has not only become a part of our work, but also a part of life – officially announce that we are leaving the project and stopping work on the preparation for the competition,” .
The organisers, appointed by the Ukraine Public Broadcaster, complained that they have been sidelined since a new manager was appointed to the organising committee last December.
The appointment has stopped work on the competition for two months now, the letter said, “the work of our team was completely blocked.”
“We regret to inform that our team cannot accept such an appointment and does not see the possibility to continue their work in the project,” the letter said.
“We tried to find a compromise and make every effort for the further implementation of the project.”
One resigning producer criticised a decision to increase the event's budget to 29 million euros from 22 million euros - saying it would deprive Ukraine's state broadcaster of 7-8 million euros of profit.
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Ukraine with the controversial song ‘1944’ sung my ‘Jamala’ – with lyrics relating to to Joseph Stalin’s mass deportation of 244,000 Crimean Tatars in 1944.
Jamala's victory irked Moscow but gave Ukrainians something to cheer after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the subsequent outbreak of separatist violence in the Donbass region.
Officials say the mass resignation will not derail the 2017 contest.
"Everything is going on according to the plan," said Pavlo Hrytsak, deputy director of Ukrainian Public TV.
For Ukraine, which ousted its Russian aligned government in a 2014 revolution, the event will be a major test.
“This is our chance to show you a new country - modern Ukraine in the heart of Europe," Jamala said earlier this year.
Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman told a televised government meeting that the show would definitely go on.
Australia's Dami Im celebrates during the semi-final of the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest. Source: AP
"We are conducting the preparation for Eurovision properly. Absolutely nothing threatens Eurovision," he said.
The European Broadcasting Union - the group behind the annual contest - said it would not comment directly on "staffing matters" but reiterated the "importance of a speedy and efficient implementation of plans already agreed".
SBS will broadcast the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest in May, with Australia again in competition alongside 42 other countries.
- with Reuters
