CAIRO, Aug. 8 (Xinhuanet) -- Egypt's Presidential Election Commission, entrusted with organizing the presidential race, said Monday that 10 candidates will compete in the Sept. 7 election, disqualifying some 20 others.

    Those who did not show up in the list have 48 hours to appeal the decision and the commission will reconsider their cases in the following 24 hours.

    A final list of candidates is expected to be published before Aug. 13, 4 days before candidates can officially start their campaigns.

    Among the 10 qualified candidates are President Hosni Mubarakfrom the ruling National Democratic Party, New al-Wafd party's leader Noaman Khalil Gomaa and al-Ghad (Tomorrow) party leader Ayman Nour.

    The other seven candidates are Ummah party leader Ahmed al-Sabahi Awadallah, al-Takafol (Solidarity) leader Osama Shaltout, Constitutional Party leader Mamdouh Qinawi, Egypt 2000 leader Fawzi Ghazal, Unionist Democratic Party leader Ibrahim Turk, al-Wifaq al-watani Party leader Refat al-Agroudi and Arab Socialist Party leader Wahid al-Uqsori.

    A referendum in May passed a major constitutional amendment, paving the way for direct multi-candidate presidential elections in Egypt. The new rule abolished an old system under which a sole presidential candidate chosen by parliament was put to a referendum for endorsement.

    Under a timetable decided by the commission, election campaigns will start from Aug. 17 to Sept. 4, 72 hours before the election day.

    If no candidate wins at least 50 percent of valid votes on Sept.7, voters will have to choose between top two candidates in the second round of voting on Sept. 17. Enditem