Portadown Orangemen have accused the Parades Commission of bias, and called on the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, to disband the body after it upheld its decision to ban the Orange Order from parading down the nationalist Garvaghy Road from Drumcree church on Sunday. Gerry Moriarty, Northern Editor, reports.
The Portadown District this week appealed the weekend decision banning the Orangemen from the Garvaghy Road, but the Parades Commission rejected this on the grounds that no new evidence was presented to justify allowing the parade.
The march is banned mainly because it could lead to street disturbances, and because the Orange Order refuses to engage in face-to-face dealings with the Garvaghy Road Residents' Coalition.
Mr David Jones, spokesman for the Portadown District, said Orangemen were now seeking advice on whether there was any legal avenue that could lead to the commission being forced to reverse its decision. He said the commission should have met the Portadown District to "at least listen" to its reasons for seeking a reversal of the ban.
"We believe that the commission has bowed to threats from Sinn Féin, and is now effectively being driven by a Sinn Féin agenda. We are now calling on the Prime Minister to carry out a review of the commission with a view to having it scrapped."
Ulster Unionist Assembly member Mr David McNarry described the commission's refusal to accept the appeal as an "appalling decision", and claimed the commission had been intimidated into its decision by republican pressure. "It is time for the Prime Minister to act and stand down the Parades Commission forthwith, and then consider how parade disputes can be resolved in the future."
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin Assembly member Mr Gerry Kelly called on DUP public representatives to sit down with Sinn Féin to discuss contentious parades. "The DUP are currently sitting on the North and West Parades Forum with three loyalist paramilitary groups. Let's show political leadership by meeting on the parades issue. I would also urge the DUP to use their influence with the Orange Order to encourage them to enter into dialogue with nationalist residents' groups."