Cyprus: Anastasiades Bigger Win than expected on 2018-23=No Party Deal but Popular will+on BioEthics

*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- Even the after-vote "Exit Polls" had not really predicted the Bigger than expected Electoral Win of Cyprus' President Nicos Anastasiades (the Experienced Leader of Center-Right, ChristianDemocrat/EPP DHSY Party) for a New Period on 2018-2023, versus his main Competitor, Genetician Technocrat Stavros Malas (backed by the Leftist AKEL Party), with 56 % against 44 % of valid Votes :

I.e. with an Advance of + 12 %, (the Double of the 1st Round : +6%), and on the Upper limits even of this 2nd Round's "Exit Polls", (while Malas droped down to their Lower limits).

The obvious Question is how Anastasiades succeeded to do so, even wihOut any Backing by anOther Political Party, i.e. withOut any Bargaining and/or backstage Deal, for the 1st Time in History (as observers noted) ?

Because all Other Parties had either left their Voters Free to Chose, without indicating Any Preference, Neither for Malas, nor for Anastasiades, (as both Left's Lillekas' "Alliance of Citizens" : 2,2% at the First Round, and Rightist Christou's ELAM : 5,7% ibid), or even explicitly Denied Support to Both Candidates qualified for the 2nd Round, (as Nicolas Papadopoulos' Centrist "DHKO", allied to MEP Theocharous "Solidarity", Perdikis' "Greens" and Sizopoulos' "EDEK", with almost 26% at the First Round). So that Both Malas and Anastasiades, apparently had to count only with their Own Forces for this 2nd Round of the 2018 Presidential Election, (Contrary to a "de facto" Tradition of Aliiances involving the Political Parties' top officers).

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Even if Participation became +2% Higher in this Second Round than in the First (circa 74% instead of 72%), nevertheless, Invalid/Blank Bulletins appoached almost 6% of the Casted Votes. I.e. about 30% of the Registered Voters chose to Abstain or cast a Blank/Invalid bulletin : Almost Equal to Leftist Competitor Malas' percentage in terms of Registered Voters (also 30%) !

So that a great part of 166.000 Citizens might, eventually, be claimed by Centrist Dissidents (around Nicolas Papadopoulos' DHKO Party), who had Denied Support to Any among the 2 Candidates Qualified for this 2nd Rounf, as a kind of Symbolic "3rd Pole", (which, in fact, might almost Equal Leftist Malas' "2nd Pole")....

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But, on the Contrary, President Anastasiades holds even there a clear Lead of + 9% More Valid Votes, among Registered Voters (with a 39% percentage, and about 215.300 valid Votes, i.e. +46.040 More than Leftist Malas).

And he Won +20,5% More valid Votes in this Final Round, than what he had Already Won previously at the First Round, (while Malas' grew only +13%).

+ In Addition, the most Surprizing New Fact is that, while Back on 2013, Anastasiades had already Won against Malas with Similar Percentages, but Thanks to an Alliance with the Centrists of "DHKO", Nowadays, on 2018, he Succeeded to get almost the Same Winning Electoral Result, but withOut Any Other Party's backing (Comp. Supra)...

=> That's naturally one of the main reasons for which, President Anastasiades Confirmed, just After being re-Elected, his earlier expressed Will to Govern with a "Wider Cooperation" in Cyprus' Society, (but without yet explicitly revealing his precise intentions in this regard, which are expected to surface during the Forthcoming formation of a New Government asap).

Experts noted ToNight that More Voters came towards Anastasiades in the 2nd Round, Both from the Centrist "DHKO" Party and from the Rightists' "ELAM", but also from almost "Everywhere"...

However, a kind of Mystery still remains about What did really Happen, and Why ? The Reply to such a Question is obviously Important also for the Final Determination of the Concrete Way and Direction in which Cyprus' New Government will be soon Forged, and at least some among its Key Policies will be concretely Shaped.

>>> Certain Surprizing, Last-Minute Moves, UnExpectedly made almost at the Eve of this crucial Electoral Day, (which were noted, but not yet sufficiently explored, by some observers), may Hold the main Key, able to explain this apparent paradox :

A Questionaire on various Topical Issues, send to Both Candidates by "ELAM"'s Rightists (almost 6% at the First Round), got a Brief Letter of Reply by Anastasiades, (who Simply send them a Copy of his Electoral Program), but Nothing from Malas. This made them React by clearly noting that they had "Basic Disagreements" vis a vis Anastasiades, while also Accusing Malas to behave as in the "Soviet" era of the Past against Dissidents, with "Fascist" refusals. In conclusion they left their Voters Free to Decide what to do, withOut giving Any explicit Preference to Anyone among the remaining 2 Candidates.


The point is that the above-mentioned "Questionaire" included also Queries about whether anyone among the 2 Top Candidates might, eventually, plan to Authorize "Adoptions" of Children by Homosexuals, or  "Identity Cards" with mention of Homosexual tendencies, even for UnderAge Children, and other such Topical BioEthical Issues, which have notoriously Shaken the Political Debate some Years ago, both in Europe (f.ex., France, UK, Netherlands, "Visegrad" Countries, Romania, Slovenia, etc), as well as in the USA, but also Africa, etc.

Together with the notorious Controversy about "Same Sex Mariage", etc., all this obviously Risks to create Thousands of captive Clients for a wide use of Artificial Reproduction Technologies, given Homosexuals' Sterility, that some Technocratic Lobbies attempt to Exploit in order to obtain a Control over Human Births, (normally Not Needed by Natural Reproduction among Traditional Heterosexual Couples of a Man and a Woman), which may provoke Serious Risks for Humankind, particularly after the New Bio-Technologies of "Gene-Editing", (such as "CRISPR/Cas9", etc), can Manipulate the Human Genome with obvious Dangers of Abuse.

However, Leftist "AKEL"s Candidate Malas' Electoral Program (that he Abstained from Sending to "ELAM", Contrary to what Anastasiades did with his own Program : Comp. Supra), contained, indeed, various Mentions related to the above-mentioned BioEthical Issues :

- F.ex., a whole Heading explicitly Dedicated to "Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Trans-Gender, Intersex : LGBTI", for whom Dr. Malas (who is a Genetician Technocrat himself), promised to take several undetermined "Measures ...in All Areas of Life" (sic), in order to "Fight (any) Discriminations against LGBTI". This stood side by side with a promise to Reform and "Modernize the Law on Family", (i.e. es if it implied the Legalisation of controversial and unpopular "Same Sex Mariage", "Adoptions" of Children by Homosexual couples, perhaps even the Atrocity of "Surrogate Mothers", etc). And Malas' Program went on, there, to Add also a "Right for Legal Recognition of Gender Identity" (sic !), without saying if it included, or not, even UnderAge Children (Comp. Supra), as well as what he curiously called "Principle of Gender Equality" (Not just between Men and Women), etc...

 

+ Coming from a Genetician Technocrat as Dr. Malas, (who has used all his life on Bio-Technologies, both in Studies at the UK, Work in Cyprus' "Nevrology and Genetics" Institute, EU Commission's Expert on BioTechnologies in the Past,  Consultant for Financial Investments in that sector, etc), all this, obviously, could not be totally unrelated with the above-mentioned Risks about Artificial Technologies for Human Reproduction, (Comp. Supra).

Particularly when Dr. Malas' brief appointment as Minister of Health in Cyprus by controversial and unpopular former President Dimitri Kristophias from the Leftist "AKEL", (against whom many Thousands of People had notoriously staged systematic Mass Demonstrations of Protest, asking his Resignation and/or Impeachment, after a Deadly and Destructive Explosion of a confiscated Cargo destinated to Syria,  Controversial Dealings with Turkey on Cyprus' Issue under UN auspices at Geneva on July 2011, a sudden Collapse of the island's Economy, various incidents against Press Freedom, Cronyism, etc.: See, f.ex.: ...),
had come, in the Past, only one Year after the notorious pro-"Cloning" Genetician Panos Zavos (a US Technocrat also originating from Cyprus !) had Shocked the European and International Public Opinion by claiming, back on 2009, that he had managed to already "Clone 11 Human Embryos" and transplant most of them to certain "Surrogate" Women's womb somewhere around the Middle East...

Something which made the American Professor of BioEthics at the University of Pennsylvania,, Arthur Caplan, in an official testimony to US Congress, to  Denounce Dr. Panos Zavos as "the most Dangerous, of the current fringe proponents of Cloning", that Gemany-based Professor Spyros Simites, (brother of former Prime Minister Costas Simites of Greece), has Criticized as a Technologic "Barbarism", as "Wikipedia" reminds. Dr. Panos Zavos, (who has also a Brother in Cyprus Recently making some Exceptionally Huge and Ambitious Investments on Real Estate related to Foreign Networks, which were destinated to Start moving After the Presidential Elections), apparently has Focused, Nowadays, much more on Technologies of Artificial Procreation of Human Beings, (including IFV and/or Sperms for "Surrogate Mothers" even in India, etc.) as his own Website indicates, i.e. came even Closer to some well-known "Hot" and Topical BioEthical Controversies in several key Countries, (including, f.ex. France, etc), as well as Fellow and Compatriot Genetician Dr. Malas' probable areas of interest, at his "Nevrology and Genetics" Institute (where he's working from 2003 until now : 2018), so that the above-mentioned Electoral Program controversies could not be ignored and should be examined seriously, particularly when a Crucial Choice had to be made by the People about all the Future Policies of an EU Member Country so Strategically located and Networked as Cyprus...

=> Immediately after that row on the above-mentioned Questionaire and Dr. Melas' Program about "Hot" BioEthical Issues, (Comp. Supra), suddenly, Suddenly, the ArchBishop of Cyprus, rushed at President Anastasiades' Office and declared to all Medias that the Country's Christian Church had collectively Decided to Support him in the 2nd Round of this 2018 Election !

That UnExpected, last-minute Move was certainly Important for the Election, because ArchBishop Chrysostomos B' is also Personally well known for his traditional Sympathy and Links particularly with the Sociopolitical area related to the Centrist Party of "DHKO", already from the times of the Historic former President of Cyprus, Tassos Papadopoulos, Father of the current Centrist Leader Nicolas. So that, inevitably, this development would have Interessed many among the Voters of that "3rd Pole" which had scored 26 % at the First Round of the Election, (Comp. Supra).

And, given the above-mentioned Facts, a main Reason for such a Last-Minute move by the ArchBishop of Cyprus, (who has, Traditionally, a quite large influence in the Society, given the particular History of the Country, which had gained its Independence back in the 1960ies with 1st President Mgr. Makarios, one of the Historic Leaders of the initial "Non Aligned" Movement at an International Level), was, most probably, if not certainly, Related to the cited "Hot" BioEthical Issues, which suddenly came at the Lime-Light of the Actuality in an unexpected manner.

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+ This was made even more clear, when, all out of a sudden, it's also anOther UnExpected Event, which broke out at the Last-Minute before this Election, in what seems to be a kind of "Chain-Reactions" apparently provoked mainly by the Same BioEthical Controversies :

 - EU Parliament's MEP Pitsillides, (to whom Anastasiades' Center-Right, EPP Party of "DHSY" had curiously attributed a very confortable Seat in Strasbourg's European Organisation some Years ago), decides to ...Resign from that Party, (while, however, still Sticking to that MEP's Seat that it gave him..), and Runs Fast to ... Leftist "AKEL"'s Candidate Dr. Malas' Electoral Headquarters, in order to proclaim, in front of the Mass Medias his Sudden Conversion in Favor of the Genetician's Presidential bid !

What For ? And why Now ? Nothing known could rationally and seriously Explain such a Move, except only of one Fact :

- Indeed, Mr. Pitsillides has been notoriously accused in the Past for allegedly "Examining whether Saints Sergios and Bakhos were Homosexuals" (sic !), and even ... officially "ExCommunicated" by the Church of Cyprus on 2015, (a very Exceptional, Rare Measure), after a series of Questions, raised by a Committee of 5 Bishops and Metropolitan Priests, which included his Public Statements and controversial Propaganda also about ... "Human Embryos", "Marriage", and "Homosexuals"...

 I.e., once again, matters obviously related to the above-mentioned "Hot" and Topical BioEthical Issues, which are the Only Key Facts omni-Present and Linking together all that Series of UnExpected, Last-Minute Events which concern the otherwise Surprising Results of this 2018 Presidential Election (Comp. Supra).

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Traditionally, Cyprus was Already marked at the PanEuropean level of the CoE, in Strasbourg, by being the only Country which immediately and openly Supported ... Germany's strong Criticism against certain Troubling Shortcomings and Lacunas in the Draft of the Convention on Human Rights and Bio-Medicine (the World Famous "Oviedo" Convention), particularly on the Protection of "Human Embryos", the scope of Interdiction of Genetic Manipulations on the "Germ-Line", the "Consent" of Persons hindered to freely, knowingly and consciously Speak for themselves, (as Children, some Elders, Prisoners, Wounded People), etc., as "Eurofora"s co-Founder already witnessed as Early as Back on 1997 in the CoE :

I.e. from the era of Historic Christian-Democrat/EPP Leaders such as Helmut Kohl in Germany, and Glafcos Clerides in Cyprus, (who have Both Worked closely together with Chancelor Angie Merkel and President Anstasiades, respectively, as well as cooperated even with "Eurofora"s co-Founder several times : Comp. Kohl's and Clerides' various Statements that they gave us, most if which were Published particularly at "TCWeekly" and/or "MPA" Agency then). A Huge Picture of Clerides was, by the way, Topically Brandished by enthousiast People also this very Evening in Cyprus, right in front of the ChristianDemocrat/EPP "DHSY" Party's Headquarters, where President Anastasiades made his First Statements just afte his Victory, (See relevant Photo).

+Moreover, also the current, Twice Elected (as Clerides), Cyprus' President Nicos Anastasiades himself, speaking to "Eurofora", already as early as since the Eve of his 1st Election of 2013, back on December 2012 at the ChristianDemocrats/EPP's Heads of State/Government Summit in Brussels, had a crystal-clear opportunity to express his Personal Interest for basic BioEthical Principles and Values, as he told us then, (See relevant Photo from that event, attached herewith).

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But, Today, a Big Positive Difference between Clerides and his long-time closest collaborator Anastasiades, is that Glafcos, after a Strong 1st term as President between 1993-1998, on the Contrary, was later obliged, during his 2nd term of 1998-2003, to make some Controversial Coalitions with certain Political Parties, (even of the Center-Left : as, f.ex., one whose remnants now backed ... Malas !), which, apparently, did Not let him a sufficient Liberty to Decide Energetically in all fields, as he initially had been able to do during his 1st Mandate. On the Contrary, the current President Nicos Anastasiades has succeeded, Today, to be brillantly re-Elected withOut being previously Obliged to make Any controversial Concession to Any Other Political Party, (Comp. Supra), but Standing clearly Autonomous, based on the good electoral results of his own, ChristianDemocrat/EPP "DHSY" Party.

However, President Anastasiades clearly appeared Conscious also of the Fact that the +20% of More valid Votes at the 2nd Round, than what he had initially got at the 1st, was largely due also to various Influx of Voters from almost "Everywhere" else (Comp. Supra), and particularly from the Centrist "DHKO", the Rightist "ELAM", but also among former Abstentionists, "Solidarity", "Citizens' Alliance", etc. Therefore, even in the Absence of an Otherwise necessary Coalition at the Top of Political Parties, Anastasiades clearly Understood that it's now Appropriate to Find some adequate Solution for a "Wider Cooperation" and acceptance also from certain Other Key Parts of the Society.

He Symbolically repeated that Key point, not only at a 1st Statement in his DHSY Party's Headquarters, Earlier this Evening, but also Afterwards, at the Stadium "Liberty - Tassos Papadopoulos", (named after the Father of nowadays' Centrist Leader of "DHKO" Party, Nicolas Papadopoulos, from which reportedly came several Votes towards Anastasiades on the 2nd Round : Comp. Supra), where he also Added mentions including "Religious"-minded People, etc.

A main Key point in his 2018 Victory being the some "Hot" and Topical "Bio-Ethical" Issues, also debated Nowadays in various Other Countries across Europe and he whole World, as we found according to the Facts cited above, (Comp. Supra), this gives a Natural new Lead on some Horizons towards which President Anastasiades might Direct his forthcoming Search of a "Wider Cooperation" with the Society. In fact, such "BioEthical" Issues have become, in Today's 2018 Election, almost as Important as the "Citizens"' issues were in the Past during Anastasiades' First Election, back on 2013, (See "Eurofora"s analysis on that point f.ex. at: ... + http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/cypruselectionboostsconservativesnewpartiesandcitizens.html, etc).

Moves in that Direction may be Facilitated by the Parallel Fact that even USA has Recently re-Started to Change its Policies on several such "BioEthical" Issues, f.ex. by Dropping former President Barack Hussein Obama's controversial "Push" which sought to Oblige European and even ... African poor Countries, to Import, nonens-volens, his UnPopular "Same Sex Marriage" recipes extended to "Adoptions" of Children by Homosexuals, Artificial Procreation Techniques, "Surrogate Mothers", etc, "Gender" Theories, Genetic Manipulations on Human Embryos' practices (Opposed Earlier by former Conservative US President GSBush), etc. Indeed, New US President Don Trump, doesn't seek, no more, Today, to ever oblige any other Country to accept such controversial practices, Contrary to what Obama used to do, (and he even said that he searches to find ways to eventually Reverse at least some among the most Controversial such Anti-BioEthical measures of Obama, as also Most Other former Candidates of the Conservative GOP Party had Vowed to do, already since the Primaries Elections of 2015-2016). And even from a purely Economic and Scientific point of view, "Bio-Ethics", if adequately used, can also Help to Boost the Development of Economy, New Technologies and Science :

F.ex., even a Key EU Commission's Expert on the Funding of ST-Research had earlier agreed with "Eurofora", on the sidelines of a relevant Conference at the CoE in Strasbourg, that a well-known and Basic "BioEthical" rule as that of the "Principle of PreCaution", could Stimulate a lot of Scientific Research and/or the Development of New Technologies, inter alia, also by Urging to Seek and Make Sure about the Middle-Long term possible (positive, Risky or Negative) Effects of one or another Measure, and/or how to Invent Efficient Ways to Protect People's Lives and Health from any eventual such risk in the Future, (etc). This leads Not towards Less, but towards More Science !

+ Moreover, in this regard, it's certainly Not for Nothing that the New US Administration under Conservative President Don Trump has Recently presented, on 2017, a whole "Strategy" and a corresponding Budget, seeking to Face the Challenge not only of "Bio-Warfare", but also of eventual "Bio-Terrorism", as well as of possible "Abuse" of Modern Bio-Technologies by some Actors, either on Purpose or by gross Negligence, in order to Protect the Safety both of Nations and People, as well as Humanity at large, from such possible Risks, (Comp. relevant "Eurofora"s NewsReport at: http://www.eurofora.net/brief/brief/trumpagainstbiotechabuse.html, etc).

++ And the recent EU's Agreement, among 25 Member Countries, including Cyprus, to Start Funding various Technological Innovations and/or Scientific Research also on Security and Defense Policy, (which was recently Celebrated with a special Event at EU Heads of State/Government's Summit last December 2017 in Brussels : See "Eurofora"s NewsReport from the spot at ... + ... etc), notoriously includes also several "Medical" matters. In this regard, wouldn't it be, f.ex., both Useful and Necessary for Europe to Fund Scientific/Technological Research on how to Protect Human Embryos from Hostile Attempts to impose them some Genetic Manipulations, and/or to Safeguard People (naturally including Soldiers) from various contemporary possible Attempts to eventually Manipulate their Brain, Conscience, and/or Body's functioning and Health ? The Fact that a Majority of People in Cyprus apparently became Aware and strove to Act, even at the Last Minute before Today's crucial Vote, against possible Risks to impose them some Technocratic Geneticians' Lobbies' shady Interests, via Controversial and UnPopular Measures against basic BioEthical Principles and Values (Comp. Supra), naturally adds a Good Point both on Democracy and on Safety.

+ Symbolically, by a Timely "Coincidence" or on purpose, for the 1st Time in the History of the Country's Elections, it's even a ...Traditional Marriage of a Natural Couple between a Man and a Woman, which spectacularly evolved through an Electoral Office, where the Bride and the Groom, dressed in Classic White long robe and Black costume, walked in, facing Press Photographers, in order to cast their votes, before going to a nearby Church, (as a relevant Photo shows)!  Hopefully, they won't need any Genetician Technocrats in order to make their own Healthy Baby, later-on, by Natural Birth...