Organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest on Thursday declined a song entry from Belarus due to its controversial political lyrics. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) demanded Belarus submit a new entry or risk being disqualified from the competition.

"It was concluded that the song puts the political nature of the contest in question," the EBU said in a statement shared on social media. "In addition, recent reactions to the proposed entry risk bringing the reputation of the ESC into disrepute." 

The song, titled "I'll teach you," ridicules the ongoing demonstrations against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. The song, performed by Belarusian group Galasy ZMesta, has garnered over half a million views on the competition's official YouTube page.

Critics slam entry as pro-Lukashenko propaganda

Critics of the song entry believe it legitimizes Lukashenko's regime. He was accused of rigging the presidential election last year against his opponent Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Both the European Union and the United States have not recognized Lukashenko as the country's legitimate president.

"This is a mockery of the people of Belarus, of everything that is happening in the country," singer Angelica Agurbash told Reuters news agency about the song entry. Agurbash previously represented Belarus in the Eurovision competition in 2005.

"Receiving any representative of Lukashenko's bloodthirsty regime would be wrong," Agurbash added.

Lukashenko has served as the president of Belarus since 1994 and has been criticized by human rights observers for his crackdown on civil liberties and the press. Human rights watchdog Freedom House has characterized Belarus as "not free," describing the country as a "consolidated authoritarian state" where "elections are openly orchestrated and civil liberties are tightly restricted."

Belarus controversy latest after Cyprus song entry

The Belarusian song entry is the latest to stir controversy in this year's contest after Cyprus' entry drew condemnation earlier this month from the country's religious community. The Church of Cyprus believes the country's entry, "El Diablo" (The Devil), promotes satanic worship.

According to the competition's official website, "El Diablo" is about "falling in love with someone as bad as El Diablo." The song is performed by Greek singer Elena Tsagkrinou

A statement from the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus described the entry as praising the "fatalistic submission of humans to the devil's power." Protesters have gathered in front of Cyprus' state broadcaster to demand the song's withdrawal from the competition.

This year's Eurovision Song Contest will take place in May in the Dutch city of Rotterdam. Guinness World Records has recognized Eurovision as the longest-running annual music TV competition, with the first contest taking place in 1956.

wd/sms (Reuters, AP)