An Egyptian court yesterday banned the leaders of autocratic ex-president Hosni Mubarak's party from running in any coming elections but did not list any names, drawing complaints about a lack of clarity that could blunt the move's impact.

Mubarak's National Democratic Party won all elections during his 30-year rule, mostly by rigging outcomes and suppressing dissidents, but was dissolved in 2011 after the popular uprising that toppled him.

But Egypt's democratic transition since has run aground, critics say, by the banning of the Muslim Brotherhood after the army removed freely elected Islamist president Mohamed Mursi in 2013 and cracked down on Islamist and liberal opposition.

A presidential election this month is widely expected to be won by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Sisi said on Monday that the Muslim Brotherhood, which won all five elections since Mubarak's ouster, was "finished" and would cease to exist if he becomes president.