Interim president Adly Mansour says Egypt will have an "elected" leader in two and a half months, in an interview published by the state-owned Al-Ahram daily.
The presidential election is seen as a major milestone in a transitional roadmap outlined by the military-installed authorities for a return to democratic rule after the army ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July.
Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has made no secret of his intention to stand in the election -- which is scheduled to be held sometime this spring -- but has yet to announce his candidacy officially.
Since he announced Morsi's ouster on July 3, Sisi has emerged as Egypt's most popular political figure and a nationalist icon, with supporters viewing him as a tough leader who can restore stability after three years of unrest following the 2011 uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak.
"I am telling you with all confidence that two and a half months from now Egypt will have an elected president and I will hand him the decision-making power," Mansour told Al-Ahram.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
In January Egyptian voters approved by 98.1 per cent a new constitution that grants the military extensive powers but lacks much of the Islamist-inspired wording of the 2012 charter adopted under Morsi.
Morsi, Egypt's first democratically elected president and the first civilian to hold the post, was ousted following massive street protests against his turbulent single year in power.
