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Sinn Fein and DUP fill parades group with own people
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
The DUP and Sinn Fein have kept a vital review of parading to themselves, filling a new working group with their own MLAs.
The three DUP choices are all prominent Orangemen, including Culture Minister Nelson McCausland.
Sinn Fein has also opted for a high-profile party team, including junior Minister and former IRA prisoner Gerry Kelly.
The creation of the six-person review panel was one of the key elements of the Hillsborough Castle agreement struck last week by the two parties.
Its members have just two weeks to come up with a workable way forward on reforming the current approach to parades. Failure to agree would jeopardise the planned timetable for the devolution of policing and justice powers to Stormont.
The new working group has been appointed by First and deputy First Minister Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness. The three DUP MLAs involved are Mr McCausland, ex-junior Minister Jeffrey Donaldson and MLA Stephen Moutray.
Joining them on the panel from Sinn Fein are Mr Kelly, fellow Minister Michelle Gildernew and senior MLA John O'Dowd.
Under the terms of last week's agreement, the working group has until February 23 to complete a report on “agreed outcomes”.
It is expected to recommend a replacement of the Parades Commission.
The Hillsborough deal schedules an Assembly vote on a new Justice Minister for March 9, with the new powers following on April 12. That plan could be held up if consensus has not materialised in the parading working group.
The timetabling in last week's deal has already slipped, but only by a few hours.
Party leaders were supposed to meet yesterday to discuss candidates for the Justice Minister's post. The meeting has been put back to today, due to scheduling problems.
The position will be filled under cross-community voting rules at the Assembly. Alliance leader David Ford is the favourite but he said yesterday that his party is not yet ready to make a nomination. It is seeking more progress on the development of a community relations strategy.
Meanwhile, DUP politician Gregory Campbell has made his first public comment on the Hillsborough pact. Mr Campbell is believed to have been part of a 14-strong group who opposed deal proposals at the start of last week.
In his statement, he said his party had a “twin track strategy”, connecting devolution of policing and justice to progress on parades.
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Jim Lynch,
Unless Northern Ireland has suddenly become part of the USA, I have used the correct spelling of neighbour.
Posted by Jeff | 10.02.10, 12:12 GMT
Jeff; Thank God I'm not geographically close enough to you to be considered a neighbor.
(you can't even spell neighbor!)
Posted by Jim Lynch | 10.02.10, 10:36 GMT
Jim,
You obviously know nothing about the Garvaghy Road situation (you can't even spell Garvaghy!)
Orangemen had been using Garvaghy Road for the return leg of their parade to Drumcree Church since 1807, hence the term "traditional route."
When Obins Street was denied them in 1986 they used the Northway for their outward route, but still returned via Garvaghy Road. This road was by then flanked by a mainly Catholic populated area, but not so much as it is now since the remaining few hundred Protestants were intimidated out (and yes, I know, Catholics have been intimidated out of their homes as well during the Troubles).
Your solution of "ban all parades" shows how ignorant you are of your Protestant neighbours.
Posted by Jeff | 10.02.10, 09:59 GMT
`twin track strategy´is that the orange hobby of parading, marching on two circular tracks in opposite directions? mmmm quite advanced for them,nah.. don't think they will carry it off.Or police on one track orangy people on the other going round and round?Can you not make it a bit clearer Gregory?
Posted by ron54 | 10.02.10, 00:58 GMT
One can imagine the discussions that will take place between these people. Peter has his Special Device in place according to The Newsletter and Jeffrey wants to see photos. I dont recollect seeing any photos of UDA Arms, but in Jeffrey,s eyes thats ok as we can trust The General on that one. Sinn Fein have again placed themselves in a self constructed Cul-De-Sac and will not be forgiven by any Nationalists if they cave in to the Loyal Orders and capitulate regarding Garvagy Road.
Stand firm lads and let Peter use his Special Device. This whole process is garbage and with DUP assistance will implode. Ulysses32 has a very valid point in stating that those democratic people who took it upon themselves to kill three innocents,not to mention the homes destroyed. But Diamond Dan will rise to the occasion and maybe one day he also will skip hand in hand along Carlton Street with Nelson, Jeffrey and Nigel. Nothing whatsoever to be proud of.
Posted by HC | 09.02.10, 16:04 GMT
There was a time when protestants, catholics and those of neither persuasion would come out of their houses to watch the colourful, noisy parades together.
Then SF realised the harm this was doing to their dream of creating disharmony amongst the good folk of NI, in order to press ahead with "uniting" "Ireland".
Such as shame that shortly thereafter, the news around catholic circles was that these parades were in fact "contentious" / that Orangmen men were all monsters / that people were "prisoners in their own homes" etc etc.
Posted by mark's nemesis | 09.02.10, 15:03 GMT
The best solution for the parades issue would be to ban all parades.
There are over 3000 orange parades each year and a few of them cause nothing but trouble and a huge drain on much needed money.
The myth and lies surrounding the Gavaghy Road parade is a good example.
The old lie about the Gavaghy Road being the traditional route of fathers and forefathers of orange men is nonsense.
Orange men weren't interested in marching down the Gavaghy Road before 1985. ( The RUC rerouted the parade from the nationalist Tunnel and Obins Street to the Gavaghy Road in 1986.)
No they wanted to march down Obins street a predominately Catholic street, The Gavaghy Road became their 'traditional' route after 1985. The orange order actually refused to march march down the Gavaghy road prier to 1986. But of course there where very few, if any Catholics on the Gavaghy Road then.
So if you call this culture then you are 'two bricks' short of a load. At least in my opinion.
Posted by Jim | 09.02.10, 14:07 GMT
Certainly not your vision of the future 'stve', if means we can't spell our own name!
Posted by nigel69 | 09.02.10, 13:06 GMT
I'm sorry, Nigel? The unionist parties went to the the unionist people? When? All I have heard from unionists is that they are continuing to very annoyed at being shut out by unionist representatives.
Nationalist politicians are well aware of what the nationalist view on parades is.
Who represents who concerning contentious parades? Why does that particularly matter. The result was obtained.
Let's not forget that the parade ban in 1996 led to 250 catholic homes being firebombed and the murder of 3 children in their beds.
Posted by Ulysses32 | 09.02.10, 11:34 GMT
nigel, why dont the garvaghy road residents cast off their blinkers and talk to the OO? This is what they wanted for years and now the OO will engage, they wont.
What is it exactly you want? A shared future? It doesnt look like it.
Posted by stve | 09.02.10, 11:00 GMT
another talking shop
Posted by hg | 09.02.10, 10:18 GMT
Why have none of the Nationalist Parties offered to go to the Nationalist people to seek their approval of what is agreed and what isn't.....are they too stupid to decide? And who elected or requested that SF/MI5 should represent the Garvaghy Road residents......It is interesting to see that John O'Dowd is on the panel...
Posted by nigel69 | 09.02.10, 08:33 GMT