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Egypt eyes September elections

From Ivan Watson, CNN
An Egyptian man casts his vote on constitutional changes at a polling station in Mansura on March 19, 2011.
An Egyptian man casts his vote on constitutional changes at a polling station in Mansura on March 19, 2011.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • An uprising led to the ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak
  • A general says Egypt's rulers plan to lift an emergency law
  • Parliamentary elections will be held in September, the general says
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Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- Voters in Egypt will elect members of parliament in September and cast ballots for president sometime after that, a member of the ruling military council said Monday.

Gen. Mamdou Shahen said the elections would not be held under Egypt's emergency law, though he did not specify when the law would be lifted.

In addition, the general announced an amendment that bans the formation of political parties on a religious, sectarian or geographic basis.

Authorities also denied news reports Monday that former President Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted after weeks of protests in February, has left Egypt for Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, the country's military rulers reduced a nationwide curfew so that it applies from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. as of Monday, said Maj. Mohamed Askar, a spokesman for the Egyptian military.