Afghan Defence Minister Mohammed Qasim Fahim vowed Wednesday that he and several key ministers would oppose President Hamid Karzai and back his rival in the October 9 presidential elections.
Fahim, a powerful warlord who is also the first vice president in Karzai's interim government formed after the collapse of the Taleban regime in late 2001, said he would back rival candidate former education minister Yunus Qanooni.
"I told the president that if he plans to go to elections on his own, he would make a mistake, but he did it," Fahim told a news conference.
"I, the Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, and most ministers support Mr Qanooni's candidacy for the presidential post."
Fahim's relations with Karzai were strained after the president denied him the ticket to stand for the post of vice president.
"He made us decide and have our own candidate," Fahim said, claiming that a large number of mujahideen (anti-Soviet "holy warriors"), members of the anti-Taleban Northern Alliance and most of the ministers, would back Qanooni.
Fahim inherited the military arm of the Northern Alliance, which helped US-led coalition forces to oust the hard-line Taleban regime.
Officials say there are 22 presidential candidates but Qanooni is considered a serious challenger who enjoys the support of the ethnic Tajik dominated Northern Alliance.