Lt.-Col Gamal Abdel Nasser, Vice-Premier of Egypt, today ousted the President and Prime Minister, Gen. Mohammed Naguib, and assumed full powers.
The first act of the new leader was to proclaim a state of emergency. He has succeeded Gen. Naguib as Prime Minister and Chief of the military junta, but the Presidency will be left open.
Gen. Naguib, earlier today, resigned all his official posts, including the leadership of the Revolutionary Council.
After he had resigned, the Revolutionary Council announced it had been fighting for some time to prevent his demands for wider personal powers.
Portraits and photographs of Gen. Naguib are being removed from offices and public buildings in Cairo.
Heavily armed troops are guarding his home in the suburb. Troops have also been sent to reinforce the guards outside the city’s broadcasting studios.
Gen. Naguib is being held incommunicado. An army oficer on duty outside his house told reporters: “ You cannot see him.”
COUNCIL MEETING
While Cairo still slept, early today Col. Nasser presided over an extraordinary joint meeting of the Revolutionary Council Command, and Cabinet Ministers.
Later, he called in his Director of Intelligence. Lt-Col. Zakaria Mohieddin, and conferred with Army chiefs and heads of the Police Department.
Col. Nasser was a power behind the Egyptian scene long before the overthrow of King Farouk. He was a member of the secret society of young Army officers opposed to the Farouk regime, and it was largely due to him that Gen. Naguib was chosen as the symbol of the Army’s revolt.
Recent speeches by Col Nasser have made it clear that his attitude is: “Out with the British-Egypt for the Egyptians.”
Maj. Salah Salem, Minister of National Guidance, announced that the Council had accepted Gen. Naguib’s resignation. He said Col Nasser, Vice-Premier, had assumed full powers as chief of the Revolution Council “ until the liberation of the country from imperialistic forces.”
The post of President will remain open until the return of parliamentary life in Egypt, he added.
(In January Gen. Naguib abolished all political parties and pro. claimed the setting up of a “liberation rally “ under Col. Nasser.)
A communique issued by the Egyptian Revolutionary Council today said it had unanimously passed the following decisions:
Acceptance of the resignation of Gen. Naguib from all functions he had assumed;
The Council of the Revolution will continue, under the leadership of Lt.-Col. Nasser, to exercise its present powers until the revolution has achieved its principal aim-that of the evacuation of the imperialists;
The appointment of Lt.-Col. Nasser as Prime Minister.
The story of President Naguib’s departure from office as told by Maj. Salem to reporters today was: Gen. Naguib “ tried to face members of the Revolution Council with a fait accompli “ by tendering his resignation three days ago and insisting on these rights:
(1) To veto any decision by the Revolution Council Command, despite the military junta’s rule by a majority vote (with Gen. Naguib having one vote in a junta of 13 members).
(2) To appoint and dismiss Cabinet Ministers.
(3) To promote, dismiss and transfer members of the Armed Forces. Gen. Naguib had “ threatened “ to resign several times during the past 10 months.
DELEGATION TO SUDAN
Gen. Naguib had cancelled all his engagements over the past two days. He presided over his last Cabinet meeting last night, driving home later to his villa in a Cairo suburb.
Maj. Salem announced the cancellation of a delegation which Gen. Naguib was to have led to attend the opening of the Sudan Parliament in Khartoum next Monday. Maj. Salem, as Minister of State for Sudan Affairs, was himself a member of the delegation.
Egypt will now be represented at the Khartoum ceremony by Sheikh Hassan El Bakhourm, Minister of Waqfs (Religious Trusts).