ABSTRACT
The history of the first parliamentary period was to be characterized from the unpromising start by petty rivalries and the crippling mutual suspicions of coalition partners. Economic policy during the first parliamentary period concentrated on enlarging the country's agricultural capacity and improving communications. Contributing to the impression of the military regime's establishment of authority was a new Nile Waters Agreement concluded with Egypt on the day before the young officers' coup attempt. The foreign policy pursued by the military regime was one of nonalignment and support for African independence movements. The perceived Western orientation of the previous government was balanced by a sense of pragmatism. The period of military rule saw the further development of two extremist political groups, the communists and the Muslim Brotherhood. While the signing of a Nile Waters Agreement lent prestige to the military regime, the resettlement of the people of Wadi Halfa developed into a serious political issue, with long-term repercussions.
