Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy says the country will hold presidential elections in early summer, after parliamentary polls in February or March.

Fahmy made the remarks in an interview with Reuters during his visit to Spain on Friday.

He said that the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party "is still legal" and can participate in the elections.

On Wednesday, an Egyptian court upheld a September 23 ruling that banned the 85-year-old group’s activities and ordered its assets confiscated.

Fahmy’s remarks are the most specific time frame yet announced for the end of the military-appointed government and a return to electoral process in Egypt.

He added that the presidential polls would be held following a referendum on a new constitution in December. A 50-member committee is amending the Islamic constitution that was drafted by the Constituent Assembly, which was appointed by the post-revolution parliament.

The Egyptians launched a revolution against the pro-Israeli regime of former Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak in January 2011, which eventually brought an end to his 30-year dictatorship in February 2011.

Egypt has been experiencing unrelenting violence since July 3, when the army toppled the government of President Mohamed Morsi, suspended the constitution, and dissolved the parliament. It also appointed the head of the Supreme Constitutional Court, Adly Mahmoud Mansour, as the new interim president.

The government of Mansour has launched a bloody crackdown on Morsi supporters and arrested more than 2,000 Brotherhood members, including the party’s leader, Mohamed Badie, who was detained on August 20.

About 1,000 people were killed in a week of violence between Morsi supporters and security forces after police dispersed their protest camps in a deadly operation on August 14.

The massacre sparked international condemnation and prompted world bodies to call for an independent investigation into the violence.