CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's military rulers are likely this week to lift restrictions that have long crushed political opposition and call a referendum on constitutional reforms next month, a lawyer who helped draft the changes said on Sunday. The military is set to cancel a law which gave ousted President Hosni Mubarak's administration the power to decide who was allowed to form a party, said Sobhi Saleh, a member of the 10-man judicial committee appointed by the military council. It is also expected to call a March referendum on historic changes to the constitution unveiled on Saturday by the judicial committee, including reforms that will open up competition for the post of president which Mubarak held for 30 years. Both steps will be milestones along the road to elections, which officials have signaled could happen within months. Egyptians hope for a new democratic era, though some are concerned the transition from decades of autocracy is too fast. "The military council hands power to the people in a gradual process," Sobhi told Reuters. "The parties law will be canceled," he added. The constitutional reforms will limit the time a leader can stay in the presidency to two terms of four years and ensure judicial oversight of elections. Mubarak was in his fifth, six-year term when he was toppled on February 11. Egyptian state news agency MENA reported that Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, a former Egyptian foreign minister, planned to run for the presidency, although his office said he had not yet decided whether to take part. The proposed constitutional amendments have not encountered major objections from opposition groups which had long called for the reforms outlined by the judicial committee. However, many Egyptians say the country needs an entirely new constitution - something the judicial committee has said will happen after elections. "No one has objected to the constitutional amendments proposed," Sobhi said. Announcing the proposed constitutional amendments on Saturday, retired judge Tariq al-Bishri said a new constitution would be prepared after a presidential election. The military council has suspended the existing constitution and dissolved both houses of parliament. Elections to both the upper and lower chambers would follow the referendum, Saleh said, without saying when, and presidential elections would happen thereafter. The reforms will make it much easier for Egyptians to run for the presidency, removing requirements which made it almost impossible for anyone but the ruling party and representatives of weak opposition parties to field a candidate for the post. Saleh, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, said the army would continue to exercise presidential powers until the election of a new president. The military council has said it hopes to hold the elections and hand power back to a civilian authority within six months. Some opposition figures are concerned that a rush toward elections is not in the best interests of democratic change. Mubarak's administration had suppressed opposition groups for decades and they say they need time to regroup, they say. They say only the Muslim Brotherhood, which was formally banned under Mubarak, is in the position to mount an election campaign, though the group says it will not seek a majority in parliament or the presidency. A quick election will also suit the remnants of the National Democratic Party, the ruling party which had dominated parliament under Mubarak. "The interim period should have been longer," said Hassan Nafaa, a political scientist. The Egyptian authorities have mounted a legal campaign against symbols of Mubarak's era, including ministers. The trial of Habib al-Adli, the former interior minister, on charges including money laundering will begin on March 5. Egypt has asked Interpol to arrest Rachid Mohamed Rachid, the former trade and industry minister, a source in the public prosecutor's office said. He is wanted for trial on accusations of corruption. The military council wants the country to get back to work following weeks of turmoil that have drained the economy. The stock exchange, closed since January 27 because of the protests, will reopen on Tuesday, the cabinet said. Two senior US senators toured Tahrir Square, the hub of the protests that toppled Mubarak, a long-time ally of the United States. Democratic Senator Joseph Lieberman and Republican Senator John McCain shook hands with passersby. "We're very happy to be here, it's very exciting new era for a great country, great history, great future," Lieberman said.