The Alliance Party has said it will not be attending a special session at the Assembly today to discuss a motion tabled by unionists over the Belfast City Hall flag debate.

The DUP has proposed a consultation to further discuss the number of days the union flag can be flown on top of City Hall.

Following a council vote last week, it can now only be flown on designated days.

Sinn Fein and the SDLP are also reported to be considering boycotting the meeting if the speaker does not agree to an Alliance party request to postpone it.

Alliance Party leader David Ford has questioned whether the meeting should go ahead in what he said was a "charged atmosphere".

Alliance now says it will not be attending "in light of the ongoing assault on democracy and the rule of law and last night's attempted murder of a police officer".

"We feel it is impossible to discuss the issue of flags at this time and we won't do so until this violence stops," they said.

"No party should be seeking to pursue this issue in the current climate."

If the three parties refuse to attend, it would mean the Commission could not meet.

There has been anger from non-unionist parties over what is seen as an attack on a democratically-made decision.

David Ford said: "The suggestion from the two unionist parties that the flag should fly on more than the designated days at Parliament Buildings breaches the compromise agreement which has been in place since the Assembly first sat after the Good Friday Agreement.

"Now is the time for unionists to show some leadership, to move to stabilise the situation and to stop stoking up tensions.

"This would be an example of real leadership to all the community, mere condemnation of violence is not enough at this time."

(IT)