The ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces will not shorten Egypt’s transitional period, sources from the military’s Advisory Council have told BBC.
After the Advisory Council presented a set of proposals to the ruling military council on Monday, the council decided not to hold a second meeting that was scheduled for Tuesday, the sources said.
The Advisory Council proposed that SCAF open up nominations for the presidential election in March and that final elections results be announced by the beginning of June so the new president can assume his or her post by the end of the month.
That proposal would follow the same time frame for the transfer of power previously announced by SCAF head Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi.
Advisory Council members had previously said SCAF would consider holding presidential elections before June.
The ruling military council has faced repeated demands to hand over power to a civilian authority since it took control of Egypt’s government following President Hosni Mubarak’s resignation last February.
Major General Mohsen al-Fangary said earlier this month that nominations for the presidential election will begin on 15 April. Various news outlets have reported that Tantawi will meet with People’s Assembly Speaker Saad al-Katatny and Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri on Monday to discuss the presidential election.
Egyptian state TV on Monday quoted Farouq Sultan, president of the Supreme Constitutional Court and head of the presidential election committee, as saying that the committee will begin arrangements for the presidential contest next week.
