Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, a former challenger of incumbent President Hamid Karzai, would register his name with the election commission next week and participate in the upcoming presidential race, his spokesman Fazil Sangcharaki said Wednesday.

"No doubt, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah is a candidate for the coming presidential elections and he would register his name as a contestant in the middle of next week, probably on Monday or Tuesday," Sangcharaki told Xinhua.

Abdullah, who lost to Karzai in the 2009 presidential election, is leading the main opposition -- National Coalition of Afghanistan.

Registration period of Afghan presidential candidates has been set for Sept. 16 Oct. 5, 2013, and so far only one hopeful runner, a less known politician Bismillah Shir has registered with the election body. The election is slated for April 5, 2014.