Mohammad Hanif Atmar, former Afghan national security adviser has announced that he would be contesting as a candidate in the presidential election in April 2019.

Tawab Ghorzang, a spokesman for Atmar’s office, has told several news agencies that he has finalized his decision to run for President.

Hanif Atmar has been a central figure in Afghanistan for years. He signed the 2014 Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) with the United States and inked a 2016 peace deal with Hizb-i-Islami, an extremist insurgent group.

Atmar recently parted ways with President Ashraf Ghani, citing “serious differences” after serving on this post for four years.

President Ghani and a number of other leading politicians have already announced their nominations for the election.