With just six weeks left until Egyptians go to the polls, the race for the presidency has entered a new level of acrimony, intrigue and speculation.
The biggest shock came Sunday, when the country's most powerful political organization, the Muslim Brotherhood, blatantly broke its promise not to seek the presidency. Its newly announced candidate, Khairat el-Shater, automatically took the lead in the campaign for the top job.
El-Shater, the Brotherhood's main financier, top strategist and deputy supreme leader, announced he was giving up his position in order to start campaigning for president. With that, he became the front-runner in a contest that continues to surprise and confuse -- and whose outcome will help determine the character of the Arab world's most populous country and influence the course of history in the region.