The DUP has reacted with fury to Northern Secretary Peter Hain's decision to appoint Women's Coalition founder and former Assembly member Prof Monica McWilliams as chief commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.
The depth of the party's political and personal antipathy to Prof McWilliams was reflected by how, over the airwaves and through House of Commons and press statements, several leading DUP members, led by party leader Ian Paisley, bitterly and indignantly opposed her appointment.
These comments will cause concern for the British government which, after recent years of discord, controversy and resignations surrounding the commission, was hoping a calmer, less troubled period lay ahead. The reaction also raises questions over the future on the commission of newly appointed commissioner Jonathan Bell, a DUP councillor.
The DUP opposition to Prof McWilliams was based on the argument that she is anti-unionist but is also based on a settled libel action which Dr Paisley successfully took against the BBC and Prof McWilliams after she claimed on BBC Radio Ulster that the DUP leader had been involved in a physical altercation with a woman doorkeeper in the Northern Assembly.
The party is further annoyed by the fact that of eight commissioners appointed yesterday, including Prof McWilliams, two are linked to the Women's Coalition, two to the SDLP and one to the Alliance Party.
Dr Paisley said he took the appointment of Prof McWilliams as a personal insult.
He described her appointment as "crass" and said the British government "must now remember that the unionists will have nothing to do with their commission".
"They will not take any part as long as they have a chairman, or chairlady, who cannot be trusted by both sides," he added.
In the House of Commons yesterday, DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson complained that Mr Hain should have announced the new appointments in the Commons chamber rather than by statement.
Mr Robinson described Prof McWilliams as "an anti-unionist political reject" and said her appointment was "absolutely outrageous".
Ian Paisley jnr said her decision in 2002 to briefly redesignate as unionist to facilitate First and Deputy First Ministers David Trimble and Mark Durkan continuing in office was further proof of her bias against unionists.
A senior DUP source indicated the party did not yet have a clear view on whether Mr Bell, who applied as an individual to take the post, should continue on the body.
Young Ulster Unionist chairman Peter Bowles said Dr Paisley "should put his money where his mouth is" and withdraw Mr Bell from the commission.
