The Egyptian National Assembly unanimously nominated interim President Anwar Sadat to succeed the late President Gamal Abdel Nasser last night. In his acceptance speech. Mr. Sadat pledged to follow Col Nasser’s policies at home and abroad, emphasizing the liberation of Arab lands seized by Israel in the June, 1967 war and a settlement of the Palestine refugee problem. Mr. Sadat is considered virtually certain to win an overwhelming “yes” vote in the Oct. 15 national referendum that is required to confirm him in the presidency. (Sources in Israel predicted today that Sadat would not succeed to Nasser’s powers but would rule as part of a troika. They said his partners were likely to be Aly Sabry, 50, who was presidential assistant in charge of defense under Nasser, and Shaarawi Gomma, also 50, chairman of the organizing committee of the Arab Socialist Union, Egypt’s only political party. Under the Nasser regime, the posts of president, prime minister and secretary of state were held by one person.) Observers regarded Sadat’s speech as moderate. Although he insisted that Egypt’s goal was Israeli withdrawal from all occupied territories, including the West Bank, the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem as well as Egypt’s Sinai peninsula and the Gaza Strip, he did not threaten the destruction of Israel. Egypt’s Foreign Minister Mahmoud Riad claimed in Cairo yesterday that Egypt had not violated the cease-fire because the missiles in the standstill zone were there when the truce went into effect Aug. 7. Israel claims the missiles were introduced to the zone after the truce began and Israeli bombardment of the missile sites stopped.
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