Egypt's upcoming presidential elections faced new legal challenges as an administrative court ordered to suspend the polls on Wednesday.

The verdict was made after a lawyer filed a lawsuit to request the suspension over the legality of an article of the presidential elections law, official MENA news agency reported.

Earlier on Wednesday, the administrative court ordered to suspend the decision of the Higher Presidential Elections Commission to refer a political isolation bill to the Supreme Constitutional Court.

The commission exceeded its powers to do so, the administrative court said.

The political isolation law, passed by the parliament recently, targets officials linked to the Mubarak regime over the past ten years. The law was approved by the ruling military council.

Former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq was briefly barred from running in the presidential race in line with the law, but was qualified again after he challenged the bill.

The legal row is unlikely to delay the polls scheduled for May 23 and 24.

To defuse the recent tension between the election commission and the parliament, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces said on Wednesday the current critical stage required unity and cooperation among the legislative, judicial and executive authorities for smooth transition.

The council reiterated that the presidential election will be held on time and it will transfer power to an elected president by the end of the transitional period.