Egypt court upholds ban on presidential candidates

Cairo, Apr 18 (ANI): Ten Egyptian presidential candidates, who were barred from taking part in the upcoming elections, have lost their appeals against disqualification.

Three front-runners, ex-spy chief Omar Suleiman, Muslim Brotherhood leader Khairat al-Shater, and ultra conservative Salafist Hazem Abu Ismail, had recently submitted their appeal to the court.

A judicial panel, however, found no new evidence was offered by the hopefuls, The BBC reports.

A final list of candidates will be published on April 26, when the election campaign officially begins.

The first round of voting is scheduled on May 23 and 24, after which there is expected to be a run-off between the top two candidates in June.

Suleiman, former dictator Hosni Mubarak's vice president was apparently barred because he failed to get enough signatures to endorse his last minute candidacy.

Abu Ismail was reportedly ruled out because his mother has American citizenship.

Shater was reportedly barred because of a former criminal conviction. (ANI)