The Northern Ireland Parades Commission has delayed until today a decision whether to overturn its ban on the Drumcree Orange Order march from entering the nationalist Garvaghy Road.
Tensions are running high in the run-up to this Sunday's controversial march in Portadown, which has resulted in varying degrees of violence for seven consecutive years. The march also comes days before July 12th, the main day of Loyal Order demonstrations across the North.
The Parades Commission will take a further submission this morning before announcing its decision. A spokesman said the commission never revealed the identity of the group or individuals it met.
"It is a matter for those meeting with us to make the matter public. We do not breach confidentiality," he said.
The commission announced on Monday that Portadown Orangemen would be banned for the fourth year running from entering the Garvaghy Road on its return route from church. It agreed to review the decision when formally requested by local unionist politicians on Tuesday.
Spokesman for the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition, Mr Breandan Mac Cionnaith, who yesterday led a delegation to meet the commission, said there was "no justification" for overturning the original decision.
He said the fact the RUC Chief Constable, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, had also met the body yesterday was a worrying sign.
"However, I see no reason for the commission to reverse the ban. The commission clearly stated in its determination on Monday the conditions as it saw them and as far as I can see none of those conditions have changed," he added.
Ms Dara O'Hagan, the Sinn Fein Assembly member for Upper Bann, was critical of Sir Ronnie meeting the commission.
"The RUC is the armed wing of unionism. Any intervention by them would clearly be a political one in favour of loyalism," she said.
On Tuesday, unionist and nationalist politicians from Craigavon Borough Council separately met the commission at its Belfast offices.
Among the unionist delegation was the leading Portadown Orangeman and newly elected Independent councillor, Mr David Jones, who had previously refused to meet the commission.
The Orangemen also refuse to meet representatives of the residents. Mr Jonathan Bell, the DUP deputy mayor of Craigavon, said yesterday the fact Mr Jones was present and that their delegation had presented a detailed proposal meant it was a "potentially very ground-breaking" meeting.
The South African mediator working on a resolution to the stand-off, Mr Brian Currin, this week urged loyalist paramilitary groups to stay away from the area in the interests of a long-term settlement. The UDA responded saying it would not cause violence but would not call on members to stay away.
Informed sources yesterday suggested any solution to the stand-off was more likely to come through the mediation channels of Mr Currin rather than through a proposal put directly to the Parades Commission, which views itself as an adjudication body.
Meanwhile, the UUP Assembly member, Dr Esmond Birnie, yesterday claimed the Parades Commission was facilitating the "ghettoisation" of the North. "It either needs to be stood down or given a new brief," he said.