EGYPTIAN PREMIER RESIGNS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22200, 10 December 1946, Page 5

EGYPTIAN PREMIER RESIGNS

HEALTH AND POLITICAL REASONS BRITISH STATEMENT ON SUDAN OPPOSED CAIRO, December 8. The Egyptian Prime Minister, Sidky Pasha, has tendered his. resignation to King Farouk who has not yet accepted it, says an official announcement. Sidky Pasha, in a letter to the King, said that despite the favourable progress of the Anglo-Egyptian treaty negotiations, his health did not allow him to face the present political situation in Egypt. It is believed there are political as well as medical grounds for his resignation. Sidky Pasha strongly objected to a statement by the Governor-General of the Sudan, General Sir Hubert Huddleston, which was authorised by the Prime Minister, Mr. C. R. Attlee, asserting that nothing would deflect the Sudanese Government from preparing the Sudanese for self-government and the task of choosing freely their future status.

Sidky Pasha’s office issued a communique saying that General Huddleston’s views were “not in accordance with the recent London talks resulting in the draft by Sidky Pasha and Mr. Bevin.” It added that the Sudanese question was still under discussion in Cairo and London. It was to be regretted that General Huddleston issued the statement authorised by the head of the British Government without prior reference to the betid of the Egyptian Government which did not approve of it. The communique denied that during the .talks between Sidky Pasha and Mr. Bevin Sidky Pasha agreed to give the Sudan the right to secede from Egypt and that the administration should continue as at present. The Governor-General of the Sudan, Major-General Sir Hubert Huddleston, said that the British Prime Minister, Mr. C. R. Attlee, had authorised him to assure the Sudanese that nothing would deflect the Sudanese Government from preparing the Sudanese for self-govern-ment and for the task of choosing freely their future status. Sir Hubert added that the constitution and powers of the Sudanese Government had not been altered by consultations between tiie Foreign Secretary, Mr. Ernest Bovin, and the Prime ,

Minister of Egypt, Sidky Pasha, to consider the report of a sub-committee which recommended northern Sudan advisory council to be replaced by a predominantly Sudanese body having administrative and financial powers. King Faiouk following Sidky Pasha's summoned the Saadist Paity leader Nolcrashi Pasha, the Libal ’ a , o S * u ltlon£ds leader Kcykal Pasha. Members of both parties staged a pro-Government demonstration after dcmonstia.tors, shouting anti-British p at tl mp , ted *0 set fire to the Saadist Paity headquarters If Kin" Farouk accepts Sidky Pasha's resigna° tion. his successor.will inherit the difficult} ot interpreting ih o “c llr i. ]n nrn . s'; ss “as, oidky Pasha and Mr Bevin tlm Times diplomatic correspondent 5 1 T ll! C ! dle , st ™'s statement regaidng the Sudan’s position was isI sued in Khartoum on Saturdav anri the replv that Sidky Pasha issuS fram s cilice showed different readings which wore being aonlieri ,7 s . I Sidky PashVrf'prM ,e wr, « inttl **« H may be iTvpt. ;‘(i' ; dvV 4ud“ n m-lv in B !' iiai ', 1 ’ i i,.. Ihn I ‘'Uj, may soon be al-