Former Egyptian military chief Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi took the final formal step to running for president next month, submitting 200,000 nomination signatures to the electoral commission today.

He was the first hopeful to submit nominations, though he sent in well over the 25,000 required.

Retired field marshal Mr Sissi led the military as it removed Muslim Brotherhood president Mohammed Morsi from power last year.

He is widely tipped to win the May presidential vote, with his chief rival likely to be left-wing hopeful Hamdeen Sabahi, who finished third in June 2012’s poll.

But the career soldier has yet to announce an election programme detailing how he would pull Egypt out of its economic slump or restore security.

Supporters of the ousted Mr Morsi have continued to stage near-daily street protests against the new government.