SAN SALVADOR – El Salvador's top military commander said on Wednesday the armed forces would not intervene in the disputed presidential election between a former leftist guerrilla leader and his right-wing rival, who has asked for the result to be annulled.Norman Quijano of the right-wing Nationalist RepublicanAlliance (Arena) came second in Sunday's vote, narrowly trailingthe ruling leftist party candidate Salvador Sanchez Ceren, whowas known as Commander Leonel Gonzalez during the country's12-year civil war.Quijano has asked the country's election tribunal, which hascalled the outcome "irreversible," to annul the result, claimingwidespread fraud and threatening to take his complaint to theSupreme Court if necessary."They know very well we've defeated them," Quijano told hissupporters on Sunday. "Our armed forces are keeping an eye onthis fraud. They can't play with the desires of the people, norcan they upend the foundations of our democracy. They can'tsteal the legitimate triumph from my nation."But on Wednesday, Defense Minister General David Munguiaruled out the prospect of military intervention, saying the armywould abide by the result, irrespective of the winner."We promise to wholeheartedly respect the sovereign decisionof El Salvador, expressed in the polling booths," Munguia said."In no way, at least on behalf of the armed forces, is a coupbeing plotted or any other conspiracy."Quijano later sought to distance himself from his previouscomments, saying he never meant to imply the army was planningan overthrow and was simply referring to the military's role inmonitoring voting centers."Arena is not an anarchical party. Arena is not a partyprone to violence," he said at a press conference. "We don'tsupport any act of violence."Sanchez Ceren, of the ruling Farabundo Marti NationalLiberation Front, has said he expects he could be declaredwinner by Thursday, which would make him the first leftistex-rebel leader to become president.The war claimed 75,000 lives and left the country deeplydivided after leftist insurgents battled a string of U.S.-backedright-wing governments between 1980 and 1992.Sanchez Ceren has promised to make a "national pact" withconservative parties and business owners and to establish amoderate government.Quijano has argued Sanchez Ceren would steer the country tothe far left and bow to the influence of socialist Venezuela.