Haass talks: Peter Robinson attacks 'dictator' McGuinness
Peter Robinson has reacted angrily to McMcGuinness' comments Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson has launched a scathing attack on Martin McGuinness saying he had "an exaggerated view" of his role in the talks process.
Mr McGuinness talked as if he was "a controller and dictator" and showed a "visceral hatred" of the Orange Order.
He was responding to Mr McGuinness's comments on BBC NI's The View.
He said unionist leaders told him the Orange Order, the UVF and PUP were acting as "one and the same thing".
The Orange Order said his remarks were "entirely without substance" and that it takes and stands by its own decisions.
"The Orange Institution takes its own decisions, applies its own decisions and stands by its own decisions," a spokesman for the order said.
In a statement released in the early hours of Friday morning, Mr Robinson said that Mr McGuinness' comments were "unhelpful and irrational" and that he was "in political denial".
He said they would not move forward current negotiations over flags, parades and the past.
"He speaks as if he is not one of the parties but rather the controller and dictator of how the process will operate. He appears to believe it is everyone else's duty to reach an agreement on his terms," he said.
"The Deputy First Minister shows a visceral hatred of the Orange Institution in his interview. While the DUP will always take its own decisions on political matters, it deliberately invited a representative of the Orange Order to be part of the Haass talks.
Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness said mainstream elected unionists backed his analysis "I defy Martin McGuinness to deny that Mervyn Gibson's contribution was anything other than instructive and positive."
The Haass talks broke up without a deal on New Year's Eve, and Tuesday saw the first meeting of Northern Ireland's five main parties since the end of the negotiations.
After the meeting Mr McGuinness said: "I have watched over the course of the last 18 months unionist parties dancing to the tune of extremists within their own community and that has to end.
"I say that because I believe the influence of these people has impacted on the Haass negotiations and the Haass outcome.
"This is a time for leadership, this is a time for standing up to extremists who are trying to bring this process down."
The interview with Martin McGuinness was broadcast on The View on BBC One Northern Ireland on Thursday night.
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