Afghan President Hamid Karzai will not surrender to oppositions'demand for his resignation rather he would go ahead with his plan to contest the October 9 presidentialpolls, his spokesman Jawed Ludin said Tuesday.

"The presidential elections will be held even there are two competitors," Ludin told journalists at a press conference here.

He made this remarks after repeated threats by Karzai's rivals to boycott the elections if the incumbent president does not step down from office before elections.

Fifteen out of 17 Karzai's opponents who are demanding his resignation have twice threatened for the last two weeks to resigncollectively from campaign and boycott the first-ever presidentialvoting since the downfall of the Taliban in late 2001.

The US-backed president has rejected the demand as unconstitutional saying article 161 of the country's new constitution empowers him to stay in office until a new president is elected.

"Holding elections is the people's demand. That is why over 10 million people registered for it. These people want to have a prosperous Afghanistan, so boycotting few persons will not affect it," Ludin noted.

The incumbent president who enjoys wide support both at home and abroad, according to observers, is expected to sweep the landmark western-style presidential elections in the post-Taliban central Asian state.

Source: Xinhua