Karzai has been criticised by his US backers for failing to control violent insurgencies in the country [AFP]

Announcing the move on Monday, Karzai acknowledged "some mistakes'' were made during his five-year term as president.

But he said he wanted to run again "to be at the service of the Afghan people".

The decision has been seen as giving ethnic balance to the presidential ticket as Karzai is a member of the Pashtuns, Afghanistan's largest ethnic group, while Mohammad Qasim Fahim and Karim Khalili represent the Tajik and Hazara minorities, the country's second and third largest groups.

Karzai named Khalili, current vice president, and Fahim, former vice president, as his two running mates.

'Increasing criticism'

The move means that Ahmad Zia Massood, the current vice president, has been taken off his ticket.

Despite dozens of Afghan politicians and leaders showing interest in running, no candidates who would strongly challenge Karzai have registered to run.

Gul Agha Sherzai, a popular governor, withdrew from the race on Saturday, and Fahim was a prominent member of the opposition before agreeing to stand as Karzai's running mate.

Karzai, who has led Afghanistan since the US-led invasion to rem,ove the Taliban from power in 2001, has come under increasing criticism for failing to tackle opposition fighters linked to the Taliban, al-Qaeda and tribal leaders.

He has also been under pressure as civilian deaths in the US-led war continue to rise.

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