Mubarak's intelligence chief stands for president

Hosni Mubarak’s former intelligence chief Omar Suleiman is running for Egypt's presidency (AP)

Hosni Mubarak's former intelligence chief formally joined the race for Egypt's presidency yesterday, a last-minute entrant who raises the heat in a contest pitting former regime figures against newly assertive Islamists.

Omar Suleiman announced he planned to run on Friday, saying overwhelming public pressure had stirred his sense of soldierly duty. He had needed to collect the signatures of 30,000 eligible voters by yesterday's deadline to take part. Ecstatic supporters cheered behind lines of military police as Mr Suleiman, pictured, arrived at the office of the state election committee in Cairo to hand in his papers to run for office.

Mr Suleiman, who Mubarak made vice-president in the dying days of his rule, symbolises that era's tough security regime, making him a figure of hate to the young liberals who spearheaded Mubarak's overthrow last year.

Reuters