Egypt's presidential election will be held in late May, the electoral commission announced on Sunday, finally setting dates for the crucial vote widely expected to be won by the country's former military chief who ousted an elected president last year. The election commission said the results are expected by June 5, and if a second round is necessary it will be held by mid-month with results announced no later than June 26.The country's powerful former military chief Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, who led the overthrow of president Mohammed Mursi last summer, has announced his bid for office and is widely expected to win. His victory would restore a tradition of presidents from military background that Egypt had for all but one year since 1952.
Sisi announced on Wednesday that he was resigning from the military to run for office -- a requirement since only civilians can run for president. To officially make a bid, Al Sisi would have to collect at least 25,000 signatures from 15 out of Egypt's 27 provinces in a petition demanding he runs. He had said he will not hold a traditional campaign, most likely over concerns for his own security. So far, only one other candidate, leftist Hamdeen Sabahi, who took third place in 2012 presidential elections, has said he would run.
The commission said that the window for nomination of candidates will open on Monday until April 20. A three-week campaign period is slated to start on May 3.