State power has been in the hands of the Military Council since former president Hosni Mubarak was toppled in February 2011. Military has previously vowed ot hand in power by July 1. The presidential election is scheduled for May 23 and 24 and a run off for June 16 and 17 if there is no outright winner in the first round.

Few Egyptians expect anyone of the 13 candidates to win more than 50 percent support in the May 23-24 vote, which is most probably to  go to a run-off in June.

Political party leaders met members of the ruling military council hours after 11 people and dozens were injured were killed when armed men attacked anti-army protesters near Cairo’s Defense Ministry.

One of the main demands of the protesters is the speedy transfer of power from military to civilian rule.

The clashes broke out at dawn today in the vicinity of the Nour mosque in Abbassiya, Cairo, between protesters and a number of amred men.

Protesters have accused the military of seeking to cling on to power. Even after a formal transfer, the military is likely to retain a broad influence on politics, analysts say.

Many candidates suspended their campaigns on Wednesday. Egyptian presidential candidate Abdul Muniem Abul Fotouh called off campaign events of the day over authorities’ handling of the anti-army protests.

Meanwhile the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) and Muslim bortherhood boycotted the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) meeting with political party leaders, on Wednesday, and suspended their presidential campaigns due to the escalation of the brutality  in Abbassiya square.