Posted: 06/18/2012 at 7:40pm | IP Logged

Greek Tragedy Averted

Monday, June 18, 2012

By Nico Bougas
Special to ASSIST News Service

ATHENS, GREECE (ANS) -- Greece's second national elections in as many months produced a narrow victory for conservative New Democracy over leftist SYRIZA. The New Democracy Party are committed to complying with the conditions of the austerity measures required in order to receive the necessary bail-out money from the European Union. However they have pledged to seek some easing of its implementation.

It was considered a critical and crunch election for Greece, the European Union and the world economy, but it seems that many Greeks were not convinced of its importance. The abstention in Sunday's poll reached a record 37.5%, meaning more people chose not to vote than back the winning party.

This can be explained in part by the rather archaic law that citizens must return to their ancestral village where they were registered in order to place their vote. In the current economic climate many people simply could not afford to travel hundreds of miles to some remote island or village to vote.

The New Democracy should be able to build a majority coalition with the socialist PASOK , benefitting from a rule which gives the leading party 50 extra seats in the 300-seat chamber.

Johnathan Macris, President of Hellenic Ministries commented that. "There remain difficult days ahead of us. The presently elected government is good for Euro stability and top European bureaucrats, but not necessarily good for the Greek people. This government is very pro State Church as well, which means less freedom for propagating the Gospel.

"In the past this alliance has resulted in multiple arrests, harassments and anti-heretical accusations towards evangelical protestants who unashamedly proclaim the gospel. Hellenic Ministries, as well as other evangelical agencies in Greece, face major challenges in dealing with increased taxes and onerous government regulations. Hopefully the recent focus on Greece's economic and political woes will lead to increased prayer and participation from evangelicals and mission minded people around the globe.."

To learn how you can help in this time of crisis check, www.hellenicministries.com or www.operationjoshua.net or e-mail info@hmnet.org.gr

Source: (ANS) www.assistnews.net