The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt has nominated its deputy chairman, Khairat al-Shatir, as its candidate for the presidential elections in May.
The choice of Mr Shatir, the group's financier, reverses a pledge made earlier by the group's leaders not to contest the election.
Only a few days had remained before the close of nominations.
Correspondents say the Brotherhood has shown major divisions and its ties with the ruling council have worsened.
There had been much speculation about whether it would opt to field a candidate following the party's legislative election success in November.
The movement's political arm then won around a third of the votes, and nearly half the seats in the first parliamentary elections since the fall of Hosni Mubarak last year.
Mahmoud Hussein, the group's deputy leader, said it had decided to field a candidate following what he called "attempts to abort the revolution".
The ruling military council has been in conflict with the Brotherhood over the appointment of cabinet ministers.
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