Egypt's first post-Mubarak presidential election will take place in May, the state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Local Development Mohammed Attiya told Al-Ahram that presidential elections would take place at the end of May but that the elections committee would set the date.

Revolutionary groups have been pushing for earlier presidential elections for months and many are calling for the ruling military council to hand over power immediately to a civilian authority.

Registration for presidential candidates opens on 10 March, allowing one and a half months for campaigning, said Attiya.

Last month, the military council's advisory committee proposed holding presidential elections on 16 May, a month earlier than the June deadline set by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.