Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, president of the ruling military council, will retire at the end of the transition period, after handing over power to a civilian authority, a source close to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has said. The source also said that the next president of Egypt might not be from among the current candidates who have announced their intention to run, but could be a university professor or a prominent economic expert. The source added that Tantawi has no intention of running for president, and that the council is aware of the sensitivity of nominating a military person for the position, a move that could aggravate the political scene. The source went on to say that the military council wants to see certain characteristics in the next president, the most important of which are scientific knowledge, management experience and the ability to make wise decisions and pull the Egyptian economy out of its current crisis. Should there not be such a candidate, the source said that the competition would take place among Amr Moussa, Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh, Counselor Hesham al-Bastawisi and Lieutenant General Ahmed Shafiq. The source added that people may not apply to officially become candidates before August 2012. Presidential elections are due to take place in November and December of the same year. Parliament would convene with its two houses in March 2012, the source explained, then the committee to write the constitution would be chosen. A month later, the new constitution would be approved by a referendum. The military council hopes that this cycle takes no more than four months, the source said. Otherwise it would have to postpone the presidential elections for a month or two, or to the beginning of 2013 at the latest. Translated from the Arabic Edition
