Galle municipal councillor Methsiri de Silva (PA) has threatened to stage a fast-unto-death from tomorrow in protest against what he termed the refusal of the incumbent Mayor to step down in keeping with an agreement for him (de Silva) to take over the reins after two years.

He said that Mayor Kelum Seneviratne (PA) had consented to serve only for two years and hand over the Mayoralty to him after a two year stint on mutual sharing basis.

"Despite an agreement being reached in the presence of SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena, the Mayor is now declining to resign", he told a news conference at his residence in Galle last week.

"Both the Mayor and I polled an equal number of preferential votes and it was because of this that the party decided that we should share the term as Mayor on a two-year basis respectively", he explained.

The Mayor has already exceeded his ‘term’ by two months, he said. "He says now that he will continue till 2010".

De Silva claimed that six other PA councillors have also pledge support to him and will be joining Monday’s protest opposite the Galle Municipal Council. "The JVP and UNP are also backing me".

He said a small platform is being constructed for his death fast and he expects around 500 of his support to rally around him to offer moral support in this hour of crisis.

He warned that he will not give up his death fast until the Mayoralty is handed over to him in accordance with the agreement reached as he also polled an equally high number of preferences.

Mayor Seneviratne could not be immediately reached for comment, but de Silva asserted that when he asked him about the pledge he had dismissed the idea of resigning saying that he had worked hard for the SLFP.

"He told me that he will continue to remain as the Mayor until the completion of the full term".

"I will not end my death fast until justice is meted out", de Silva stressed.