Haiti’s former Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe has announced his plans to run for president in the country’s upcoming presidential election.

Lamothe submitted documents to run for president on Thursday, just hours before the election office’s deadline for registration.

“This is about keeping the country moving forward. The progress needs to continue,” Lamothe said.

The last-minute move by the former Haitian premier came while he had previously denied having plans to run for the position.

He is running alongside about 50 other candidates.

Under Haitian law, Lamothe must obtain a parliamentary decree that confirms he was involved in no corruption during his time in office in 2012 to 2014.

However, the presidential candidate argues that he does need a decree from the parliament to run. One of his advisers has said a judge already gave the former official the necessary “discharge” to run for office in the presidential elections, which are scheduled to be held on October 25.

Lamothe quit back in December 2014 after violent anti-government demonstrations broke out over the country’s failure to hold parliamentary elections. The parliament was dissolved in January after Haiti failed to hold a vote.

President Michel Martelli has been ruling by decree ever since.

Lamothe has said the country made significant gains during his 31 months in office, particularly after Haiti’s 2010 earthquake, which destroyed much of the capital and surrounding areas.

Haitians have held anti-government demonstrations over delayed elections and high fuel costs in several different parts of the country this year.

SZH/HJL/GHN