Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The BBC's Orla Guerin: "Sisi has the institutions of state behind him" 
 
 Field Marshal Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has announced that he has resigned as Egypt's military chief in order to stand for the presidency. 
 
 In a widely expected announcement, he said on state TV he was appearing "in my military uniform for the last time". 
 
 Field Marshal Sisi led the overthrow of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in July after mass opposition protests. 
 
 Correspondents say he is likely to win the presidency, given his popularity and the lack of any serious rivals. 
 
 Analysis Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has surprised no-one by announcing his farewell to arms. His exit from Egypt's military was carefully choreographed over a period of months. In or out of uniform he will be viewed as the military's man. Just three years after the revolution - which was supposed to end decades of military rule - Egypt's generals are again supplying the country's leader. The softly spoken former intelligence chief - with no combat experience - will now have to fight on several fronts. He will inherit a bitterly divided nation, a crippled economy and a growing insurgency. Diplomatic sources say he is a reluctant candidate who is well aware of the pitfalls ahead. One problem he won't have is winning. Sisi enjoys huge support, and so far has no serious challengers. Some potential candidates have refused to run saying the opposition can't campaign freely and the election will be a farce. Analysts warn that Sisi's strong support could wane if he can't make progress fast. 
 
 To his supporters, the 59-year-old former army chief is a saviour who can end the political turmoil dogging Egypt since 2011 when a popular uprising ended Hosni Mubarak's three decades of one-man rule. 
 
 But his opponents hold him responsible for what human rights groups say are widespread abuses, and fear that he wants a return to authoritarianism. 
 
 His announcement came hours after Egypt's interim authorities ordered the prosecution of 919 suspected Islamists and days after 528 were sentenced to death in a separate case. 
 
 'Difficult task' 
 
 In his address, Field Marshal Sisi told Egyptians he first wore his military uniform as a 15-year-old cadet and said: "I will always be proud of wearing the uniform of defending my country." 
 
 But he said he was answering "the demand of a wide range of Egyptians who have called on me to run for this honourable office". 
 
 He warned of an "extremely difficult task" ahead for Egyptians as the country faces up to its "economic, social, political and security realities", including a threat "by the terrorists". 
 
 But he proposed "hard work and self-denial". "If I am granted the honour of the leadership," he said, "I promise that we together, leadership and people, can achieve stability, safety and hope for Egypt". 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption BBC News profiles Egypt's President-in-waiting, Abdul Fattah al-Sisi 
 
 The starting date of the nomination process for the presidential election will reportedly be announced on Sunday, after which no changes may be made to the electoral roll. 
 
 Rise through the ranks Image copyright AFP Image caption The field marshal is widely expected to become president of Egypt, the most populous Arab nation Born in Cairo on 19 November 1954 
 
 Graduated from Egypt's Military Academy in 1977 
 
 Further training in UK and US 
 
 Youngest member of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces after 2011 uprising topples Hosni Mubarak 
 
 Appointed commander-in-chief of armed forces and defence minister in 2012 by President Mohammed Morsi 
 
 Overthrows Mr Morsi, suspends constitution and installs interim government in 2013 following mass opposition protests 
 
 Promoted to field marshal in January 2014 New face of Egypt's old guard Joy, anger and mockery greet announcement 
 
 Sisi announcement 
 
 The government has yet to set a date for the vote, although earlier this month al-Ahram newspaper cited interim President Adly Mansour as saying that it would be completed by 17 July. 
 
 Leftist politician Hamdeen Sabahi, who came third in the 2012 election, is the only other candidate to have declared his intention to run. 
 
 Gen Sedki Sobhi, the current chief-of-staff of the armed forces, is expected to be named Field Marshal Sisi's successor. 
 
 If Abdul Fattah al-Sisi becomes president, he will be the latest in a line of Egyptian rulers drawn from the military; a line only briefly broken during Islamist President Morsi's year in office. 
 
 Mr Morsi appointed Field Marshal Sisi as both military commander-in-chief and defence minister in August 2012 - a move seen at the time as an attempt to reclaim power from the military, which had assumed interim control after President Mubarak's fall. 
 
 But following mass protests a year later demanding the resignation of Mr Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood-led government, it was Field Marshal Sisi who told the leadership to respond to "the will of the people" or risk army intervention. 
 
 When Mr Morsi refused, Field Marshal Sisi suspended the constitution and announced the formation of a technocratic interim government. 
 
 Since then, more than 1,000 people have been killed and thousands of members of Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood have been detained in a crackdown by the interim authorities, who have designated the Islamist movement a terrorist group. 
 
 Mr Morsi and many other senior Brotherhood leaders are currently being tried on a variety of charges, including incitement to murder and conspiring to commit terrorist acts. ||||| CAIRO (AP) — Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, the Egyptian military chief who last summer removed the elected Islamist president, has announced that he will run for president in elections expected next month, putting him on an apparent track to lead a nation beleaguered by ongoing turmoil and violence, a broken political order, a dilapidated economy and concerns over the chances for building a democracy. 
 
 Riot police fire tear gas during clashes outside Cairo University in Giza, Egypt, Wednesday, March 26, 2014. Hundreds of largely Islamist university students in a number of universities protested Wednesday... (Associated Press) 
 
 In this image made from video broadcast on Egypt's State Television, Egypt's military chief Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi speaks in a nationally televised speech, announcing that he will run for president, in... (Associated Press) 
 
 A cloud of red smoke from flares fills the air as supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi chant slogans during a demonstration outside Cairo University in Giza, Egypt, Cairo's sister city, Wednesday,... (Associated Press) 
 
 In this image made from video broadcast on Egypt's State Television, Egypt's military chief Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi speaks in a nationally televised speech, announcing that he will run for president, in... (Associated Press) 
 
 Protesters chant slogans outside of Cairo University in Giza, Egypt, Wednesday, March 26, 2014. Hundreds of largely Islamist university students in a number of universities protested Wednesday against... (Associated Press) 
 
 A riot policeman fires tear gas to disperse protesters during clashes outside Cairo University in Giza, Egypt, Wednesday, March 26, 2014. Hundreds of largely Islamist university students in a number of... (Associated Press) 
 
 This image made from video shows relatives reacting after an Egyptian court on Monday sentenced to death 529 supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in connection to an attack on a police... (Associated Press) 
 
 Islamist defendants accused of terrorism-related charges look through their cage bars in a Nasr City cell trial with other defendants at a courtroom in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, March 26, 2014. The trial... (Associated Press) 
 
 Wearing his military fatigues in a nationally televised speech, el-Sissi announced late on Wednesday he was resigning from the armed forces — a required step since only civilians can run for president. He declared that it was the last time he would wear his uniform because he was stepping down to run president and continue to defend the country. He said he was "answering the demand of a wide range of Egyptians." 
 
 The 59-year-old el-Sissi is widely expected to win the vote, and restore a tradition of presidents from military background that Egypt had for all but one year since 1952. He has been the country's most powerful figure since removing President Mohammed Morsi, and Morsi's once politically dominant Muslim Brotherhood has since been declared a terrorist group. 
 
 A nationalist fervor has gripped the country since the removal of Morsi, who in 2012 became Egypt's first freely elected and civilian president. The ouster in July came after massive protests by millions against Morsi and the Islamists. 
 
 Since then, the military-backed interim government has waged a fierce crackdown on the Brotherhood, arresting thousands of members and killing hundreds of protesters in clashes. At the same time, militants have waged a campaign of attacks on police and the military, and authorities have accused the Brotherhood of orchestrating terrorism, a claim the group denies. 
 
 Magdy Karkar, a senior member of a Brotherhood-led coalition organizing anti-government protests, said el-Sissi's candidacy confirms that Morsi's removal was a coup aimed at wrecking democracy, as Islamists have contended. 
 
 "His running will not achieve stability in Egypt. It's true he has many supporters who love him or even worship him. But on the other hand, there are those who hate Gen. el-Sissi and hold him responsible for the blood that has been shed," Karkar told The Associated Press. 
 
 For months, Egyptian media have been depicting el-Sissi, who was promoted to the rank of field marshal in January, as "the savior of the nation" for removing Morsi — and touting him as the only figure capable of running the country. Although there are no credible nationwide polls — in a country with widespread illiteracy — there is a strong sense that el-Sissi will easily win, with little competition. 
 
 Watching his speech in a coffee shop in Cairo, Sabry Ahmed, in his late 50s, said el-Sissi has what Egypt needs. 
 
 "He is a political man, a military man, and an economics man. He understands everything regarding the state," he said. "We can't compare him to anyone else. The country needs a strong man of his size." 
 
 In the neighborhood where el-Sissi was born in old Cairo, celebrations broke out as soon as he finished his speech. A distant relative, Mohammed Haroun, cheered: "This is the best decision he took in his life." 
 
 El-Sissi's candidacy — and presidency, is he wins — is another dramatic turn in Egypt's trajectory that began with the 2011 ouster of autocrat Hosni Mubarak in a popular uprising demanding democracy after a 29-year rule. The series of elections that followed were the freest Egypt has seen, and brought the Brotherhood and their Islamist allies to political dominance — only to see a large sector of the public turn against them over what was seen as exclusionary politics and attempts to reshape Egypt's identity to deepen the role of Islam. 
 
 Morsi was Egypt's only president since 1952 to not come from a military background. Amid the crackdown since his fall, critics fear a return to autocratic ways similar to the Mubarak era, in light of increasing reports of police abuses and intolerance of dissent. 
 
 The election commission is expected over the weekend to announce the date of the election. 
 
 The campaign will be a stark contrast to the 2012 vote, when 13 candidates of multiple political stripes ran for the presidency. This time, so far only one person has announced his intention to run against el-Sissi — leftist politician Hamdeen Sabahi, who came in third in the 2012 vote. 
 
 Clearly mindful of his own security, el-Sissi is not expected to tour the country during the campaign and is expected to have tight security around him. 
 
 In his address Wednesday night, el-Sissi acknowledged that "under the circumstances that you all know, I'm not going to launch a traditional presidential campaign." But he promised to put forward a clear program and platform and said he intended to build a "modern and democratic Egypt." 
 
 "These recent years of our nation's history have conclusively shown that no one can become president of Egypt against the will of the people," he said. 
 
 He spoke of "monumental challenges" facing the country, including a "weak economy" and millions of unemployed. "I cannot make miracles. Rather, I propose hard work and self-denial," he said. "A ruler cannot succeed alone. It takes the joint effort of both the ruler and the people." 
 
 He invited other candidates to run in the vote and political parties to participate in subsequent parliamentary elections — though he made no mention of the fate of the Brotherhood. He promised "no alienation, exclusion or discrimination" and "open arms to everybody here or abroad" — except Egyptians indicted by law. 
 
 He also vowed to fight "every day" against terrorism and promised to rid Egypt and the region of it. 
 
 On the ground there have been no signs of any move toward reconciliation with the Brotherhood. 
 
 Authorities on Wednesday announced the latest in a series of mass tribunal of suspected Islamists, putting 919 defendants, including top Brotherhood leader Mohammed Badie, on trial for murder and other charges in connection to the violence over the past months. Earlier this week, an Egyptian court sentenced to death 528 suspected Morsi supporters over a deadly attack on a police station, capping a swift, two-day mass trial in which defense attorneys were not allowed to present their case. 
 
 Morsi supporters have continued near daily protests against el-Sissi and the interim government. On Wednesday, students in several universities, most of them Islamists, held protests that turned into clashes with security forces. An 18-year-old student was killed in the violence at Cairo University, the Health Ministry said. 
 
 Many of Egypt's secular leaning revolutionary youth who were at the forefront of the uprisings against Morsi and Mubarak were largely against a military man for president, fearful of the return of Mubarak ways. 
 
 Bassem Sabry, a political commentator and blogger, said he would have preferred to see el-Sissi remain in the military and keep the military out of politics. But from el-Sissi's speech — mixing common-man and authoritative tones— "it is clear ... that the idea of the president as a father figure will remain with us for a while." 
 
 Sabry noted that el-Sissi paid tribute to the people, not the military, as the ones who changed two regimes. "The main question is will he learn the right lessons from these observations or not?" 
 
 El-Sissi, the head of military intelligence since 2010, was a little known figure when he was chosen as military chief and defense minister by Morsi. The Islamist leader selected him after removing the Mubarak-era defense minister and other top generals, who held power after Mubarak's ouster. 
 
 Leading Brotherhood figures have since said that they believed el-Sissi was a "pious" Muslim, and some fierce opponents of the Islamists said at the time that they believed el-Sissi was a tool for the Brotherhood. 
 
 But during Morsi's year in office, frictions grew between his administration and the military as protests grew against Morsi and turned into deadly clashes with police. On June 30, millions around the country began a wave of rallies demanding Morsi step down. El-Sissi publicly gave the president a deadline to reconcile with his opponents — and on July 3, troops arrested Morsi. The Islamist leader was held for four months in a secret military detention until finally appearing for the first of a series of trials on charges ranging from inciting violence to terrorism. 
 
 Colleagues have spoken of him as a careful listener, and supporters often compare him to Gamal Abdel-Nasser, the charismatic strongman who participated in the 1952 army coup that removed the monarchy and who later became president. 
 
 Supporters also talk of el-Sissi's youthful looks and energy — footage of him jogging with troops regularly plays on TV — as well as the emotional catchphrases unusual for a military man that he often drops into speeches. 
 
 "Don't you know that you are the light of our eyes?" he said in one address to the public, using a common Arabic expression of love. "Egypt is the mother of the world and will be as great as the world," he often says to assure people that better days are to come. 
 
 El-Sissi comes from a humble background, born in the ancient Cairo district of el-Gamaliya, famed for its historic mosques and a backdrop for many of the novels of Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz. Neighbors there remember him as a quiet child who mostly studied and helped his father in his shop selling souvenirs to tourists. 
 
 El-Sissi also studied at the U.S. War College in the early 2000s and wrote a thesis about the potential for democracy in the Middle East. 
 
 Little is known about his private life, other than that he is married with four children. His wife, Intissar, made her first appearance in public only last month — and her emergence was widely seen as a signal of el-Sissi's plans to run.
– The most powerful man in Egypt has thrown his military fatigues aside to run for president. Field Marshal Abdul-Fattah al-Sisi, who led the overthrow of elected President Mohamed Morsi last summer, announced on TV late yesterday that he was stepping down as military chief to answer "the demand of a wide range of Egyptians who have called on me to run for this honorable office," reports the BBC, which notes that his popularity and lack of serious rivals makes him very likely to win elections expected this summer. Morsi's year in office was the only time since 1952 that Egypt has had a leader not from a military background. Supporters say al-Sisi is the only one who can end the country's turmoil, but opponents fear he will lead the country back to authoritarianism. "His running will not achieve stability in Egypt. It's true he has many supporters who love him or even worship him. But on the other hand, there are those who hate Gen. al-Sisi and hold him responsible for the blood that has been shed," a senior member of a Muslim Brotherhood-led coalition tells the AP. The announcement came days after 529 Morsi supporters were sentenced to death and 683 more were put on trial.