McGuinness A 'Controller' And 'Dictator' - Robinson

Peter Robinson has described Martin McGuinness as a "controller" and a "dictator" with regards to his comments on the Haass proposals.

The deputy First Minister had been speaking about the negotiations on the BBC Northern Ireland 'The View' programme. Mr McGuinness said unionist leaders told him the Orange Order, the UVF and PUP were acting as "one and the same".

He also said he believed unionist parties were "dancing to the tune of extremism" in their rejection of the proposals drawn up by US peace envoy Dr Richard Haass.

Dr Haass had been working with the five main Executive parties in the run up to Christmas, but there was no agreement reached on the way forward regarding flags, parades and the past.

First Minister Peter Robinson said: "The unhelpful and irrational comments made by Martin McGuinness will do nothing to take the negotiations forward. He speaks as if it is every other party’s requirement to move to his position – and if they do not then he considers it to be a lack of leadership on their part.

"He speaks as if he is not one of the parties but rather the controller and dictator of how the process will operate."

Mr Robinson continued: "As the largest party in Northern Ireland, we will not be shepherded into any structure that restricts our ability to conclude agreement on deal imperatives.

"The deputy First Minister shows a visceral hatred of the Orange Institution in his interview. While the DUP will always take its own decisions on political matters it deliberately invited a representative of the Orange Order to be part of the Haass Talks."

(IT/MH)