The Irish Government has been accused of buckling under unionist pressure by pulling out of monitoring a council meeting in Northern Ireland.
Angry Sinn Féin representatives this evening accused the Government of backing out of their promise to send a representative to Lisburn City Council.
An official was expected at the election of its new mayor and deputy mayor amid nationalist complaints that they are being excluded from the top posts.
But after the no-show, Sinn Féin's Mr Paul Butler claimed: "They have caved in to unionist demands and run away.
"This is a huge blow to Catholics and nationalists living in Lisburn, and we feel betrayed by the Irish Government."
His dismay was compounded by the appointment of two unionists at the AGM.
The DUP's Mr Cecil Calvert was elected unopposed as the new mayor with Sinn Féin abstaining.
Ulster Unionist Mr William Gardiner Watson was appointed his deputy after defeating Mr Butler.
An Irish Government spokeswoman said a decision was taken to discuss concerns outside the meeting.
"It had been under consideration to send an official," she said.
"However, there was a change of arrangements. The arrangement was instead that officials would meet with nationalist representatives directly after the council meeting."
Mr Butler made contact with the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, urging him to intervene in a council he believed to be brimming with discrimination and bigotry.
With none of the council's seven nationalist representatives appointed to the mayoral positions or committee chairs last year, he wanted the election scrutinised.
But DUP representative Mr Edwin Poots had told Dublin that any interference was not wanted.
He said: "It's unwarranted, unwelcome, and rather than making fools of themselves, the Irish Government should put their own house in order."
Mr Poots also pointed out that the Sinn Fein man turned down the offer of vice-chair of the Strategic Policy Committee last year.
He added: "Non-unionists have held the mayorship of Lisburn for four years in the past 10. "It's somewhat ironic that the Irish Government will see the DUP, which is the second largest party on the council, elected mayor for the first time in 22 years.
"They would be better off looking at the lack of Protestants in the Garda and the declining overall Protestant population.
"The Irish Republic has seen the greatest population shift of an ethnic minority prior to Bosnia. There were over 10% Protestants but that has now dropped to 2%."
As the row deepened, SDLP councillor Ms Patricia Lewsley urged all sides to sort the situation out.
PA