POPULARITY WANES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 71, 5 January 1950, Page 5

POPULARITY WANES

KING FAROUK’S POSITION

CONTEMPLATED MARRIAGE A FACTOR

(Rec. 10.50 a.m.) , 'LONDON, Jan. 4 Victory for the Wafdist party in the Egyptian elections would hit King Farouk in a touchy spot—liis pride—says the Associated Press correspondent at Cairo. The Wafdist party is led by his old political foe, Mustafa Malias Paslia. The Wafdists have won 81 of the 113 seats so far decided.

Many observers believe that King Farouk’s popularity lias dropped so low that! he would ire forced to accept a Wafdist Government. Constitutionally, the King has authority to dissolve any Parliament lie does not like, but people in a position to know doubt whether lie would dare. King Farouk’s popularity among liis 2.1,000,000 subjects deteriorated again recently after stories of liis wish to marry the 16-year-old girl seeped out to the world’s press. The reports said that the King stepped between Miss Narriman Sadek (daughter of an Egyptian civil servant) and Zaki Hachian, 27-year-old economic expert with the Egyptian delegation to the United Nations. Their plans to marry were cancelled because King Farouk wanted to make the girl liis queen. The King’s divorce from Queen Farida, who failed to give him a male heir, growing discontent with living conditions throughout the country and the failure of the Egyptian arms against Israel have ah- reduced the King’s stature in the eyes of his subjects. IMPORTANT ISSUES anglo-egyptiAn treaty REVISION (Rec. 11.5 am.) LONDON, Jan. 4. If the Wafdist Government takes power it could be expected to bring about some social reforms, but would pursue an anti-Israel policy. Nahas Pasha was last Premier from 1942 to 1944, when he took a strong proAllied Stand. Since then King Farouk has tried to frustrate Nahas Pasha at every opportunity There have also been attempts on the 71-year-old leader’s life. Next to the Wafdists’ 81 seats come the Independents’ 10. The Saadists have eight. The final results for the 319 will not be known until after the second ballot on Tuesday in constituencies where the required majority has not .been obtained. Of the first half-million votes the Wafd obtained, about 53 per cent., the Independents IS, Saadists 15, and Liberals 10.

' Reuter says that "the early reports suggesting a decisive victory for the Wafdists have already started speculation in London about revising the 1936 Anglo-Egyptian Alliance. The existing treaty is likely to remain a source of friction between the two countries until it is brought up to date. Both Britain and Egypt have basic interest in revising the treaty.

The present “caretaker Premier” (Hussein Sirry Pasha) said to-day that Anglo-Egyptian negotiations for a new financial agreement 'to replace that which expired on December 31 would be opened in Cairo this week. The Cairo correspondent of “The Times,” in an early message, says: “The results so far announced in Egypt’s first general election since the war indicate that the extreme nationalist Wafdist Party is likely to emerge as the strongest single party in the new Chamber of Deputies. This does not necessarily mean that, the Wafdists will have a majority in the Chamber, but it will ensure that all parties are represented. “The Wafdists led the war-time Government, but have been out of power since-1944. They boycotted the last elections in January, 1945, and the main question is whether _ they will now receive a sufficient majority to form a Government or whether another coalition will be necessary. The Saadist Party held most seats in the outgoing Chamber, but the Wafoists have said they will not form a coalition with them.

“Voting was in 298 of the 319 constituencies’. In 21 constituencies candidates were returned, unopposed.