You're reading: Esctoday.com: Jamala withdraws from national final

Jamala, one of the artists in the line-up for the new Ukrainian national final set for March 3rd, has withdrawn from the competition. According to an official statement published on her official website, the artist claims she is happy to have received three times the votes Mika -the winner last weekend- got, but she is not ready to participate once again because she "does not want to have nothing in common with manipulations, corruption and ambitions of certain personalities, regardless the interest of those who are covering them". Jamala claims that "the truth is obvious", referring to the allegedly rigged voting taking place in the Ukrainian selection show aired last weekend. "I'm happy that 3 times more people voted for me than for the artist who won the first place. My gratitude for those who believed in me and supported me is endless", reads Jamala's statement. Read the story here.