Mexico leftist vows to challenge presidential vote

MEXICO CITY, July 4 (Reuters) Leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Monday he will legally challenge results that show him losing by 1 percentage point to the ruling party candidate in Mexico's tightly fought presidential election.

Lopez Obrador told reporters yesterday that he had found irregularities in preliminary official returns showing him with 35.34 percent of Sunday's vote compared with 36.38 percent for Felipe Calderon, with 98.39 percent of votes counted.

Election authorities are expected to confirm that result after a recount later this week.

Lopez Obrador told reporters he will take his complaint to election tribunals rather than call for street protests.

''We are going to take this to the corresponding legal authorities,'' he vowed at his campaign headquarters.

REUTERS DH BST0748