Brotherhood's plans for Egypt leadership attacked The decision by the Muslim Brotherhood to field a candidate in Egypt's presidential election has unleashed a storm of criticism from political rivals and deepened fears among liberals of an Islamist domination of power. The Brotherhood, which already controls parliament and the committee drawing up a new constitution, said on Saturday that it would nominate Khairat al-Shater, its deputy leader and chief strategist, to run in May's election. The group said last year that it would not seek the top job in an apparent bid to reassure the army and western countries that there would be no Islamist power grab. "It is in keeping with what they want, which is to control everything," said Mohamed Aboul Ghar, leader of the Egyptian Social Democratic party. There is nothing new; they always go back on their word. The Brotherhood, which has in recent weeks been locked in an escalating power struggle with the ruling military council, attributed its change of heart to fears for the democratic transition in the country. It cited the refusal of the generals to allow it to form a government after it won parliamentary elections and said the military council had threatened in closed meetings to dissolve the elected parliament. "This is a dramatic escalation in the conflict with the army," said Khalil al-Anani, a political analyst. It's clear all negotiations have failed and the two sides have reached deadlock. The Brotherhood's decision to field Mr Shater brings to three the number of influential Islamist candidates fighting the election. With the backing of the Brotherhood, the biggest and most formidable political machine in the country, he is likely to prove a strong contender. A millionaire businessman who is regarded as the movement's organisational brain, he has been representing the group in difficult talks with the ruling generals, western businesspeople and diplomats. His financial clout and organisational skills have made him a frequent target for imprisonment by the ousted regime of Hosni Mubarak, the former president. Mr Shater spent 12 of the past 20 years in prison and was serving out a jail term handed down by a military tribunal when Mr Mubarak was overthrown last year. His early release appeared to be the first fruit of understanding between the Brotherhood and the military rulers aimed at laying the ground for a new political order. But for all his abilities, Mr Shater is understood to have been reluctant to run for president, preferring instead to work behind the scenes to advance the cause of the group he joined while at university. "He is used to being the kingmaker, not the king himself," said Mr Anani. He has strategic skills but I think as a public figure he cannot really capture the hearts and minds of Egyptians. Opinion is divided over whether the entry of Mr Shater will fragment the Islamist vote or whether the Brotherhood will be able to marshal for him the same level of support it secured for its candidates in the parliamentary elections. Much will depend on whether ultraconservative Salafi groups, some of whom support Hazem Abou Ismail, another candidate, will line up behind him. However, some say Mr Shater's candidacy presents the Brotherhood with risks other than losing the election. "This is not in the interests of the country because it means that one group controls legislative and executive powers," said Mohamed al-Qassas, a former member who broke away from the group. It is not even in the interest of the Brotherhood that it should be shouldering all the responsibility [for addressing Egypt's problems] by itself. No single political faction can do this alone.