Egypt presidential election set for late May

Egypt will hold the first round of its presidential poll on May 26 and 27, and if a second round of elections is necessary, it would be held in mid-June, the country’s election committee has said.

The announcement comes amidst a political crisis that has rocked Egypt in the past months.

Triggered by the ousting of Mohamed Morsi and his Muslim brotherhood, the violent protests and a spate of attacks have killed 496 people, among who include policemen and soldiers.

The country's powerful former military chief Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, who led the overthrow of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi last summer, has announced his bid for office.

The only other main candidate is leftwing politician Hamdeen Sabbahi, who came third in the 2012 election that Morsi won.

A three-week campaign period is expected to start in early May.

The announcement by electoral chief Ashraf al-Asy at the news conference came days after Sisi resigned as defence minister and army commander to contest the election, pledging to eradicate "terrorism".

Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood has said there could be no stability under Sisi as president, accusing him of staging a coup against the country's first freely elected and civilian president.

The Islamists have vowed to continue protests, which, along with persistent attacks by armed groups, threaten to further damage the already battered economy.

To officially make a bid, el-Sisi would have to collect at least 25,000 signatures from 15 out of Egypt's 27 provinces in a petition demanding he runs.