THE Alliance party has threatened to leave the Northern Ireland Forum if it degenerates into "play acting". The warning came after the body held its first meeting yesterday following the summer recess.
Delegates voted to fly the Union flag while the Forum is in session, and to set up a committee to investigate the boycotting of Protestant businesses by nationalists and help those affected.
The Women's Coalition was the only party to vote against the flag proposal. No nationalist delegates were present - the SDLP resigned its seats after the Drumcree stand off and Sinn Fein is adopting a boycott policy.
Alliance had left the room when delegates voted on the motion. Its deputy leader, Mr Seamus Close, said that the party would withdraw from the Forum unless there was constructive debate.
"Alliance is serious about making progressive steps in this community," he said. "We want mutual understanding and dialogue. We will not be puppets in play acting."
Ms Pearl Sagar of the Women's Coalition said: "The flying of the flag is unnecessary in the current climate." She declared the Coalition would challenge any attempt to fly it.
The Sinn Fein councillor Mr Alex Maskey, commented on the vote: "This decision reflects the determination of the unionist leaderships to dominate the talks process and to force their symbols down other people's throats."
The Forum also voted to set ups a committee to investigate the boycotting of Protestant businesses across the North. Unionist delegates urged the Northern Ireland Office and the RUC to take immediate action to help those affected.
The former DUP Lord Mayor of Belfast, the Rev Eric Smyth, said that he would no longer be shopping in Catholic businesses. If nationalists thought that it had been a long, hot summer, then next summer would be even hotter, he warned.
The DUP deputy leader, Mr Peter Robinson, criticised the SDLP for not responding adequately to the boycott.
"Unless nationalist leaders come out and call for the immediate cessation of this boycott, unionists will have no alternative but to engage in a reciprocal boycott."
Mr Hugh Smyth of the Progressive Unionist Party said that many ordinary Catholics were being intimidated from shopping in Protestant stores.
"They have written to me and said they are being forced not to shop in these places. They know that these shopkeepers in working class areas were very good to them. The Catholic customers might not have had their breakfast, never mind their dinner, if these shopkeepers hadn't given them credit."
Mr Smyth urged the British government to make funds available to those affected to "help them over this hard time".
The UK Unionist, Mr Cedric Wilson, said that the boycott was part of the republican movement's "unarmed" strategy.