MEXICO CITY, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The Mexican ruling party's presidential candidate, Jose Antonio Meade, conceded defeat shortly after polling stations closed in the country Sunday evening.

Meade, of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), admitted at a public gathering that the voting tendencies did not favor him and the majority of votes went to candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, from the "Together we will make history" coalition.

"At this moment, we will have to recognize that, according to the trends, it was Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador who obtained the majority; he will have the responsibility of leading the executive power and, for the good of Mexico, I wish him the greatest success," Meade said to his supporters.

Exit polls by the Mitofsky Counsulta Group gave Lopez Obrador, a 64-year-old former Mexico City mayor, between 43 percent and 49 percent of the vote, and Meade between 22 percent and 26 percent of the vote.