El Salvador election runner-up appeals to top court for recount

SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) - The runner-up in El Salvador's presidential election said he had requested the Supreme Court on Friday to order a recount of the weekend's tight contest. Norman Quijano, a former mayor of San Salvador and candidate of the right-wing Nationalist Republican Alliance (Arena) party, finished fewer than 7,000 votes behind Salvador Sanchez Ceren of the ruling leftist Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front. Quijano, 67, told reporters he filed a request for an injunction with the constitutional chamber of the Supreme Court. He had already filed a claim with the electoral tribunal to annul the election because of fraud. Political analysts say his challenge is not expected to succeed. The electoral tribunal has said it could take until early next week to work through Quijano's legal challenge to the election and settle any remaining doubts. (Reporting by Nelson Renteria; Writing by Christine Murray and Mohammad Zargham)