After months under the rule of a military junta, the prospect of Egypt holding its first free elections seems to be growing, with Interim Prime Minister Essam Sharaf saying that the parliamentary vote would be held in late September.
A number of factions are complaining about the date, saying it favors the remnants of the Musharraf regime and the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood party over the smaller liberal parties, which want more time to organize.
And indeed, Sharaf himself was arguing that the election should be delayed until the constitution was finalized. If one faction gains overwhelmingly in the vote it will allow them to slant the constitution in their favor.
Still, the prospect for delays didn’t look any more promising, with protests increasingly discontented at life under the post-Mubarak junta and human rights groups calling for a quick return to civilian rule. Sharaf also indicated that no further delays beyond late September were likely to be possible.