Kieran Murray | Mexico City | Aug 6

Reuters - Mexico's leftist opposition leader pledged on Sunday to organize new mass protests to force a full recount of votes in a tight presidential election he narrowly lost, and warned it could be a long battle.

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he would extend his campaign of civil resistance, which has paralyzed the capital for the past week, starting with a huge demonstration outside Mexico's top electoral court on Monday.

The electoral court on Saturday rejected Lopez Obrador's demands for a recount of all 41 million votes in the July 2 election, which was won with a razor-thin margin by his conservative ruling party rival, Felipe Calderon.

Instead, it ordered recounts at just 9 percent of voting stations. If they show Lopez Obrador with more support than in the initial result, they would help him push for further recounts, but he railed against the decision.

"We don't want one-tenth of a democracy. We want a 100 percent democracy," said the anti-poverty campaigner and former mayor of Mexico City, pledging to pressure the court's seven judges to change their minds and open every single ballot box.