Egypt's interim leader Adly Mansour hints president could be elected first
Egypt's interim leader has said a presidential election could be held before voting for parliamentary seats. Adly Mansour's comments raise the possibility that the country's military-backed government is preparing to deviate from the transitional plan it unveiled after ousting former president Mohammed Mursi in July.
Egypt's interim leader said a presidential election could be held before a parliamentary vote.
Adly Mansour's comments raise the possibility that the country's military-backed government is preparing to deviate from the transitional plan it unveiled after ousting former president Mohammed Mursi in July.
It also comes amid a widening crackdown on Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood, which was declared a "terrorist organisation" by the government last week.
As the crackdown intensified, Egyptian secret police arrested an award-winning Australian journalist and an Egyptian reporter for the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera channel suspected of illegally broadcasting news harming "domestic security".
The transitional plan had called for parliamentary elections to be held first, after a constitutional referendum. The government has emphasised its commitment to the transitional plan, offering it as evidence of its support for democracy.
Analysts have said that switching the order of the elections could help Egypt's leaders maintain tighter control over the outcome, by allowing the newly elected president to influence the make-up of parliament, possibly by forming a political party.
