The DUP has distanced itself from calls for President Mary McAleese to cancel a visit to a Ballymena school later this month and the party has said it does not wish to interfere with Ballymena Academy's autonomy as a voluntary grammar school, with the town's DUP mayor stating: "We have stepped back from all-out confrontation."
Mayor Tommy Nicholls said his party wanted to "register our unhappiness" that Mrs McAleese had not followed protocol for a visiting head of state.
"My office had not had any communication from her office or indeed Ballymena Academy nor did the lord lieutenant in Co Antrim who is the Queen's representative," he said.
"That would be the normal way to do it. This is part of the UK and if she comes as president it looks to me as if she thinks she is president of all Ireland which she is not."
The mayor said the DUP would "have been more responsive" if the president's office had made contact.
A spokeswoman at the president's office said last night that on every visit to the north the NIO was contacted and protocol and security arrangements were then made.
The president is greeted by one of the north's lord lieutenants on her first engagement during her visit, she added.
Mrs McAleese has been invited to address the economics and politics society at the school and the visit was initially strongly opposed by the DUP with Ballymena councillor Robin Stirling refusing to rule out a protest on the day.
He read a statement from the party at a council meeting on Monday night although the mayor yesterday moved to distance the council from the situation.
"I don't want any protests," he said. "While it was discussed at council with one member of the DUP reading a statement it wasn't what we normally do, that we make it into a motion, because we didn't feel we wanted the council to be involved.
"Of course it is for a school and for any organisation to invite who it wants and we have made that clear."
Mr Nicholls said Mrs McAleese should have waited "until her offensive comment about Protestants in Northern Ireland was less fresh" before visiting.
Mrs McAleese made the contentious remark 13 months ago.
