The Democratic Unionists were today accused of "demeaning" the Northern Ireland Assembly by recalling its members from an Easter break to decide if lilies should be displayed in its main hall.
The deputy Alliance Party leader Mr Seamus Close said it was "outrageous"the DUP had managed to force a special meeting of the Assembly today to debate plans to display the flowers that have been associated with commemorating the 1916 Rising.
An Assembly cross-party body last week voted to allow a limited display of the flowers over Easter.
But outraged DUP Assembly member Mr Jim Wells interrupted the Assembly's recess by tabling a motion to debate the lilies, claiming the display would honour the IRA.
But Mr Seamus Close said today he would not be attending today's debate and said it was an insult to the Northern Ireland electorate.
"This debate is absolutely crazy," the Lagan Valley MLA said.
"This debate demeans the Assembly. It demeans politics and politicians in Northern Ireland - especially when you consider that we have had a foot-and-mouth emergency and the Assembly was not recalled.
"We have had patients lying on hospital trolleys and yet the Assembly was not recalled. We have had murders, violent beatings, high levels of road deaths - numerous, more important, reasons to recall Stormont and it was not recalled.
"This is the only occasion the Assembly has been recalled and I think it is wrong."
PA