A DUP MLA yesterday refused to answer questions about disquiet within the party over Arlene Foster's removal as leader.
Fermanagh and South Tyrone DUP Association - Mrs Foster's home body - hit out at the decision to move against her last month.
It released a statement saying its members wanted to "voice their disgust at the manner in which our party leader, First Minister and local MLA RT Hon Arlene Foster has been treated over recent weeks".
Mrs Foster was forced to quit last month after a large group of DUP representatives challenged her leadership.
She was officially replaced as leader by Edwin Poots last night and is due to step down as first minister at the end of June.
Upper Bann MLA Jonathan Buckley was asked about the Fermanagh and South Tyrone DUP Association's statement on BBC Radio Ulster’s Good Morning Ulster yesterday, during a discussion on Northern Ireland’s waiting lists.
But he said he did not want to conflate waiting lists with party politics.
"I am not here to get into the minutiae of party political politics. I’m here to talk about waiting lists and at that I will have no further comment," he said.
Mr Poots defeated Sir Jeffrey Donaldson by 19 votes to 17 in the leadership contest two weeks ago.
Mrs Foster’s home constituency said it would continue to “stand firm by her side”.
"Arlene has worked tirelessly over the years not just for Fermanagh and South Tyrone but right across Northern Ireland - helping all constituencies," it said.
"Our Association is sending out a strong message to Arlene Foster. This was not done in our name.
"The Fermanagh and South Tyrone DUP association have unanimously backed Arlene Foster to remain as our MLA, however we recognise this is a personal decision.
"We appreciate that Arlene has sacrificed so much personally over the years for public service, but this Association will stand firm by her side."
East Belfast MP Gavin Robinson, who backed Sir Jeffrey in the leadership contest, shared the association's message on his Facebook page.
Meanwhile, former East Belfast MLA Sammy Douglas suggested that Mrs Foster's 'crocodiles' remark lost her cross-community support.
Mr Douglas, who was close to former DUP leader Peter Robinson and remains a member of the party, was interviewed by journalist Susan McKay for her new book, Northern Protestants on Shifting Ground.
Mr Douglas mentioned Mrs Foster’s 'crocodile' remark during the 2017 Assembly election campaign in which she referred to Sinn Féin’s demand for an Irish language act by saying: “If you feed a crocodile it will keep coming back and looking for more”.
Mr Douglas said: “A woman I know from a nationalist background – she’s a civil servant – said to me shortly after the crocodile remark: ‘You know my politics, Sammy. I was never a supporter of republicanism, but see when I heard that I just thought ‘f**k the DUP’.”
