CAIRO, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- Egypt's presidential campaign season will kick off in April if a referendum on a new constitution is completed by then, state-run newspaper al-Ahram reported.
Mohamed Attiya, minister of parliamentary affairs, told al-Ahram the new constitution is to be drafted by the upper and lower houses of Parliament by the end of March. The Cabinet will discuss the election laws Wednesday before delivering them to the country's military rulers for final approval, al-Ahram reported Sunday.
Officials have been aiming to hold the presidential election in June.
George Ishaq, a member of the National Coalition for Change, does not believe the timeline is feasible. "I don't think it will happen, but at least they are talking about it," he told the Egyptian news Web site Bikyamasr.com.
The civilian Advisory Council has offered amendments to the presidential election law to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. Regulations state candidates must be at least 40 years old and cannot serve more than two consecutive four-year terms in office.
A committee similar to the Supreme Electoral Commission, which oversaw the recent parliamentary elections, will oversee the presidential election process.
