Alliance in Belfast mayor row
Alliance Party Councillors in Belfast have denied they agreed to back the selection of a Sinn Féin mayor for the city this year. Last year, Councillor Marie Moore became the first republican to hold the office of deputy mayor after the Alliance Party backed her.
According to Sinn Féin's Alex Maskey the election of Marie Moore as deputy mayor was part of an agreed package with the Alliance Party. The package included Alliance support for the election of a member of Sinn Féin to the office of mayor this year.
David Alderdice of the Alliance, however, now rejects the claim that any such agreement was made and has said that Alliance councillors will be involved in ``multiple discussions'' before making their decision.
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