Egypt military to give up power on May 24?

Egypt’s military chief of staff says the army may hand over power to civilian rule on May 24 if the country’s upcoming presidential election produces a winner in the first round.

“We are looking into handing over power on May 24 if the president wins in the first round,” the military Chief of Staff Sami Enan said on state television on Wednesday.

The announcement comes as the death toll from recent violent clashes between assailants and anti-junta protesters reached 20.

Clashes erupted on Wednesday between unknown armed men and protesters who had been camping out near the Egypt’s Defense Ministry building in Cairo protesting against the election committee’s decision to ban two candidates from running in the upcoming presidential election.

Meanwhile, four presidential candidates have suspended campaigning in protest to the military handling of the Wednesday clashes.

The military had previously said it would transfer power by the end of June. The presidential election is scheduled for May 23 and 24 and a possible run off on June 16 and 17.

The military council took power in the aftermath of the last February revolution in Egypt that overthrew Mubarak’s Western-backed regime.