Salley Refuses To Accept Maharoof

By Dinouk Colombage

UPFA councillor Azath Salley says he does not accept Mohammed Maharoof as the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) Opposition Leader.
Salley explained that he did not consider Maharoof as the opposition leader in the CMC as the President had not appointed him to that post.
“The day before the President’s trip to Thailand he called me and asked to remain in the CMC, he assured me that upon his return he would deal with the appointment of an opposition leader”, he said.
Salley went on to say that the announcement by Maharoof that he was the opposition leader was an unsanctioned comment and so he does not accept it. Salley said that this sort of behaviour by Maharoof was what prompted him to crossover from the United National Party to the UPFA.
“When I crossed over from the UNP I did not expect him (Maharoof) to follow me. Now that he has he is still behaving in the same manner as he did previously,” Salley said.
Salley also denied that he would consider resigning from the CMC saying, “when the President returns from his overseas trip I will be approaching him about this situation and, depending on his response I will consider my future.”
Despite repeated attempts to contact Mohammed Maharoof he could not be reached for a comment.