The court said the first round should not go ahead as planned, saying the law regulating the presidential election did not give the Presidential Election Commission (PEC) the power to call for the vote.

The decision will be appealed in Cairo Thursday. It is expected to be overruled, according to a judicial source speaking to AFP. The source added that Tantawi, Egypt’s de facto president, delegated his powers to PEC chief Farouk Sultan.

The court’s decision comes in response to a case filed by lawyer Wael Bahgat, requesting the election’s suspension based on questions regarding the legality of Article 1 of Egypt’s presidential elections law, Al Arabiya reported citing Al Ahram.

Earlier on Tuesday, Presidential Election Commission Chairman Farouk Sultan said the election will be held on time,  al-Masry al-Youm reported, after fears arose about the postponement of the elections.

The decision comes just two weeks before  Egypt’s first presidential election since a popular uprising toppled president Hosni Mubarak last year.

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) headed by Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, which took power when Mubarak was ousted, has vowed to hand over to civilian rule once a president has been elected by July 1.

Some of the main candidates running for the elections include former Arab League chief Amr Moussa, Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Mursi and former Brotherhood memember Abdel Moneim Abul Fotouh.