Increase font size Decrease font size Reset font size

Nasser resigns, then defers

2017-06-10
BEIRUT: President Nasser of UAR resigned as Head of State today [June 9] but in a statement issued three and a half hours later he said he would debate his decision with the UAR National Assembly tomorrow. The second statement by Nasser said demonstrations in Cairo in support of him had `deeply moved me`.

The statement indicated popular demonstrations in Cairo and other Arab Capitals might have persuaded Nasser to go back on his decision to resign.

`I will go tomorrow, God willing, to the National Assembly to debate with it, and before the people, the decision I have announced in my previous statement,` Nasser`s second announcement said.

It was read over Cairo Radio by an announcer and monitored in Beirut.

`If I request anything of our struggling people at this time, it is that they wait until the morning,` Nasser`s statement said.

While addressing a crowd which gathered at his residence, heard in Karachi from Radio Cairo, he requested the people to go home and wait till morning. Official sources said that Zakaria Mohieddin declined `until further notice to assume the presidential charge of the Republic`.

The UAR Vice-President, Field Marshal Abdel Hakih Amer, has also resigned, it was of ficially announced.

[Meanwhile, agencies report from Beirut,] Syria announced today [June 91 that Israel had launched a large-scale invasion of its territory with infantry, tanks and planes.

Damascus Radio said the Foreign Ministry had cabled U Thant, the U.N. Secretary General, asking for an immediate session of the Security Council to discuss the Israeli attack. The cable informed U Thant that, in spite of Israel`s acceptance of the cease-fire, `Israeli aggression along the Syrian front is now facing a largescale invasion in which planes, tanks and infantry are being used.