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[LINK] Telegraph
The conservative candidate in Mexico's presidential election now has enough votes to be sure of victory, but his leftist opponent has pledged to challenge the result in court.
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Felipe Calderon, representing the ruling National Action Party, has 35.82 per cent of the vote, with 99.56 per cent of ballot papers counted.
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of the Democratic Revolution Party polled 35.37 per cent of Sunday's vote.
Even if all the ballots left to be counted went to Mr Lopez Obrador, Mr Calderon would be victorious.
The pro-US conservative today held a noisy celebration at his party's headquarters, and called on his opponents to forget the ugly and fiercely contested election.
But the leftist candidate has urged on his supporters to gather in Mexico City, the country's capital, this weekend, fuelling fears that he will mobilise massive protests that could lead to violence.
And he has demanded that votes be recounted manually, ballot-by-ballot.
"We are going to the Federal Electoral Tribunal with the same demand - that the votes be counted - because we cannot accept these results," he told a press conference.
Mr Lopez Obrador had led throughout the official count until he was overtaken by Mr Calderon with 97 per cent of the votes counted.
Ruling party officials said Mr Lopez Obrador had been ahead only because his people had been stalling the count with protests in conservative strongholds.
Once the count is complete, it can be disputed before the country's top electoral court. A winner must be declared by Sept 6.
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