Egypt: Freedom, Later

"Change! Change!" Egyptian students shouted at President Gamal Abdel Nas ser last month. He promised to. Two weeks ago he purged his Cabinet of many of its political figures, choosing as replacements technocrats from the universities and the professions. Last week, speaking on television and radio from his office in the presidential palace of Kubbeh, Nasser presented a comprehensive plan aimed at entirely revitalizing his Arab Socialist Union, the country's only legal political party, and giving Egypt a new constitution.

Under Nasser's plan, a set of nationwide elections will be held to name new delegates to the Arab Socialist Union, which will convene July 23. One of the delegates' main tasks will be to draft a constitution that will guarantee many of the rights that the students have demanded. Nasser promised that it would ensure, for example, complete freedom for Egypt's muzzled press, freedom of thought and an independent judiciary. There was only one catch. The constitution, Nasser declared, will not go into effect until the Arabs regain the lands lost to Israel.