MEXICO CITY, May 9 (UPI) -- Mexico City Mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced Monday he is stepping down to concentrate on his presidential bid.
Obrador will remain in office until the end of July. His term was scheduled to end in December 2006.
The Mexico City mayor's decision follows a highly publicized attempt to bring criminal charges against him -- charges that were eventually dropped.
Obrador was accused of defying a judge's order in 2001 to halt construction of an access road to a hospital. His opponents accused him of abusing his office to further his political ambitions. The popular mayor is considered a virtual lock to win the presidency in 2006.
Last week the Mexican attorney general's office issued a short statement saying their investigation concerning Obrador had been closed, El Universal reported.
