THE planned meeting of the Stormont party leaders looks likely to be rescheduled for later in the month.
Alliance leader Naomi Long and her Ulster Unionist counterpart Doug Beattie signalled on Friday that they would not be attending the monthly leaders' forum today.
The row was sparked by a statement from Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald following a roundtable meeting with Secretary of State Brandon Lewis to discuss the British government's latest legacy proposals.
"I will chair a meeting of the party leaders forum on Monday, and it is expected that the assembly will be re-convening early next week on this matter also," she said.
The chair of the party leaders' forum is rotated, with Sinn Féin due to take responsibility today.
However, Mrs Long claimed Mrs McDonald was attempting to "spin it as their initiative and focused on legacy issues".
"This is misleading and unhelpful," she said.
"By acting entirely outside of the accepted practice, they have undermined confidence in the confidentiality of the forum."
The Alliance leader said in the same manner that the British government "cannot act as an impartial chair on legacy discussions", nor could Sinn Féin "given the party’s continued defence of the actions of the republican movement during that period".
"The public framing of the meeting as a Sinn Féin legacy initiative has made my attendance inappropriate," she said.
Mrs Long said she presumed DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson would not be attending and that the meeting was unlikely to proceed today. She said she expected it to be rescheduled. There was no comment from the DUP.
Mr Beattie described the party leaders forum, which was set up following New Decade New Approach, as a "safe space" where he and his counterparts could meet "away from the glare of the media to discuss important issues affecting the executive, assembly and society".
"What Mary Lou McDonald did was undermine the confidence of the meeting by taking it on herself to set the date, the time and the agenda with no discussion with other party leaders," he said.
"It was deliberate and provocative and the timing, on the Monday, was set to try to outdo the SDLP recall petition on the Tuesday."
The Ulster Unionist leader claimed Mrs McDonald would use the meeting to "promote Sinn Féin's view of legacy".
Sinn Féin said on Friday that the parties had been invited to put forward issues for discussion.
"Sinn Féin have put legacy on the agenda given the huge hurt caused by the British government to victims and survivors by their latest legacy proposals, which political leaders will want to discuss," a party spokesman said.
