Egypt will open nominations on 15 April for the first presidential election since Hosni Mubarak was ousted by a popular uprising last year, a member of the ruling army council told a television channel Sunday. The army has pledged to hand power to civilians after a presidential vote in June, although protesters have demanded that the ruling military council quit power sooner. Major General Mohsen al-Fangary made the comments to an Egyptian television channel that were shown on its website, www.el-balad.com. Mubarak won Egypt's first multi-candidate presidential vote in 2005, which was marred by abuses and held under rules that prevented any realistic challenge to the incumbent. Al-Sayed al-Badawy, the head of the liberal Wafd party, said after a meeting of political groups last week a referendum on the new constitution would be held on15 May and a presidential vote on 20 June, in line with a previously announced army timetable.
