Egypt To Vote In Presidential Election

6/16/2012 1:34 AM ET

Egypt is set to start voting in a two-day run-off election on Saturday to select their first freely-elected president, 16 months after former President Hosni Mubarak was ousted in a country-wide revolution.

In the election, Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party head Mohammed Mursi is up against Ahmed Shafiq, Mubarak's last prime minister.

The ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has agreed to hand over power to the winner by July 1 at the latest.

Meanwhile, Supreme Court on Thursday ruled to dissolve the Parliament and returned legislative powers to the Egyptian military. The panel of judges, appointed by Mubarak, ruled that the law governing Egypt's elections was unconstitutional as party members were allowed to contest in seats reserved for independents.

The Freedom and Justice Party had won about 100 of its 235 seats in the first democratic elections conducted in more than six decades to the People's Assembly.

In such a scenario, the newly elected president could take office without the oversight of a sitting parliament and a permanent constitution to define his powers or duties, reports said.

by RTT Staff Writer

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