Following accusations of branch stacking and under-handed deals, disgruntled Liberals Gregg Ritchie and Eddy Sarkis have left the party.
The two Holroyd councillors have been vocal about what they alleged to be branch stacking in the lead-up to the council elections.
Councillor Sarkis said recently he would wait for the outcome of an inquiry into the allegations by the Liberal Party state executive before deciding whether to quit the party.
But with no word from the party’s state president Arthur Sinodinos, Cr Sarkis said on Monday that he would run in the election as an independent.
‘‘I’m not going to waste any more time,’’ he said.
‘‘I’m going to run as an independent.’’
Councillor Ritchie also confirmed that he would run as an independent in the September election after falling out with the party.
Both sitting councillors lost their preselection votes almost unanimously and claimed a power block of state council members had conspired against them.
Councillors Ritchie and Sarkis wrote to senior Liberal Party members, including Mr Sinodinos, Tony Abbott and Barry O’Farrell, with their complaints.
Cr Ritchie said he had made the party leaders aware of an illegal tape recording featuring two men discussing behind-the-scenes party politics.
He said he had first-hand experience of some of the backroom machinations in which endorsements for friends and relatives to be elected to local council are given in return for political favours such as backing candidates for coveted seats in Parliament and the state executive.
‘‘These jobs are worth $180,000 a year, plus a pension for life; they’re worth a lot of money,’’ Cr Ritchie told the Sun.
‘‘So for these Senate votes, you (are expected) to put someone in Parliament.’’