Cairo, Oct 6 (PTI): Egypt's military, which is presiding over the country's historic transition to democracy, has no plans to field a candidate for the post of president, the ruling council chief Hussein Tantawi said today, scotching rumours that the Army was interested in the polls.

Tantawi also said that the parliamentary elections, Egypt's first since the fall of Hosni Mubarak's regime, were postponed at the request of political parties who wanted more time to prepare for them.

"These are only rumours and we shouldn't waste time talking about rumours," Tantawi said, while opening an armed forces medical complex here.

The statements of the Field Marshall come at a time when tensions have erupted between the ruling Supreme Council of Armed Forces and the political forces.

Activists have on a number of occasions protested against what they perceive as a delay in the transition process and failure of the regime to bring to justice those responsible for the kiling of pro-democracy protesters.

A major bloc of political parties led by the Muslim Brotherhood had recently threatened to boycott the parliamentary elections, scheduled for September, protesting against a clause in the electoral law that they feared might allow loyalists of the Mubarak regime to enter parliament.

Following the protest, the law was amended by the SCAF.

Tantawai sought to clear the air over rumours and perceptions in the country over the Army's future role by saying that the institution does not intend to stay at the helm of affairs in the country for a long time.

"We will not leave Egypt until we have fulfilled all we promised and do our duty towards the people," Tantawi said.

"The armed forces have no interest in staying for a long time," he was quoted as saying by MENA.