Registration for Egyptian presidency polls starts

Cairo: Egyptians eyeing to contest in the country’s top post start Saturday to forward applications for running in Egypt's first presidential elections since a popular revolt deposed long-standing president Hosni Mubarak last year.

Presidential hopefuls have until April 8 to register before contesting a vote set for May 23 and 24, according to an election commission.

Even before registration opens, more than 50 people across the country have said they will stand for president.

Potential presidential contenders include Amr Mussa, the former Arab League chief; Abdel Moneim Abul Fetouh an ex- senior official in the influential Muslim Brotherhood; Hamdeen Sabahi, a prominent leftist; Ahmed Shafik, Mubarak’s last premier and Mansur Hassan, a former culture minister in the 1970s.

Under constitutional reforms approved last year, presidential candidates running as independents will have to be supported by 30 members of parliament or collect 30,000 endorsements from at least 15 of Egypt’s 27 governorates. Political parties with at least one seat in the two houses of parliament are given the right to field a contestant. Egypt’s new president will be announced on June 21, less than two weeks before the military rulers are to hand over power.