Egypt’s presidential election, which former defense minister Abdul Fatah Al-Sisi is expected to win, will start on May 26.

The first round of voting will be held on May 26-27, with results to be announced by June 5, the elections commission announced at a press conference in Cairo today. A runoff, if necessary, will be held June 16-17, with a final tally by June 26, it said. Candidate registration will open tomorrow through April 20, it said.

The vote, to be followed by parliamentary elections, is part of the interim authorities’ declared plan to steer the country toward democracy after the July ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

Last week, Al-Sisi, who led Morsi’s removal, stepped down as general commander of the armed forces and defense minister to run for president. His critics accuse him of trampling democracy by overthrowing the elected Morsi after days of demonstrations against his rule, and say his candidacy confirms the intervention was a coup.

A January referendum on a rewritten constitution was seen in part as a litmus test of Al-Sisi’s electoral strength. The charter, which replaced a constitution approved during Morsi’s tenure, was endorsed by 98 percent of voters in balloting that the Brotherhood and some other Islamist groups boycotted.