The Five Demands

Si terranno questa mattina a Stormont Castle i colloqui delle due fazioni al centro della controversia sulla parata orangista di Drumcree, con il Primo Ministro Peter Robinson.
L’Orange District di Portadown sarà rappresentato da Darryl Hewitt, mentre la Garvaghy Road Resident’s Coalition (GRRC) sarà rappresentata da Breandán Mac Cionnaith.
I colloqui fanno seguito al tentativo fallito dagli orangisti, la scorsa domenica, di riportare la parata a sfilare per l’originario percorso, ovvero attraversando Garvaghy Road. L’ultima volta che è successo è stato nel 1997.
Darryl Hewitt ha dichiarato: “Il dialogo è l’unico modo per risolvere questo problema e i colloqui con il Primo Ministro devono essere un buon passo in questo senso. Ho incontrato il nuovo presidente della NI Parade Commission (Rena Shepherd) a Drumcree  e anche lei concorda sul fatto che il dialogo è essenziale. ”
Joe Duffy, presidente del  GRRC, ha controbattuto sostenendo che il problema è stato risolto nel 1998 vietando la marcia in quell’area.
Propositivo invece l’atteggiamento di Robinson:  “Sono certo che riusciremo a trovare un modo per risolvere la questione e farà tutto il possibile per progredire verso una conclusione consensuale”.

Robinson set to hold Drumcree talks (Belfast Telegraph)
The two sides in the Drumcree dispute are meeting First Minister Peter Robinson this morning in the latest bid to come up with a solution to the long-running parades dispute. The Portadown Orange District and Garvaghy Road Residents’ Coalition (GRRC) will hold separate talks with Mr Robinson at Stormont Castle, following last Sunday’s abortive attempt by Orangemen to return from Drumcree by their traditional route. The last time they walked the Garvaghy Road was in 1997. Darryl Hewitt, District Master of Portadown LOL No 1, will lead the Orange delegation and Breandan Mac Cionnaith will head the GRRC group. “It’s significant, for a start, that the GRRC is meeting Peter Robinson on his own patch at Stormont Castle,” Mr Hewitt said. “We’re taking it one step at a time and we simply want face-to-face talks with Brendan McKenna and company, without preconditions. “Dialogue is the only way to resolve this issue and talks with the First Minister must be a good next step. I met with the new NI Parades Commission chairman (Rena Shepherd) at Drumcree on Sunday and she too agrees that dialogue is essential.” However, Mr Mac Cionnaith was less positive. “As far as we are concerned, we are meeting Peter Robinson in his role as DUP leader,” he said. “The deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness must sanction such talks with the First Minister and that hasn’t been done. But I have to say it’s refreshing that the DUP leader has, for the first time, asked to meet with us.” GRRC chairman Joe Duffy has insisted that the issue was resolved in 1998 when the march was banned and claimed the issue was “a dead duck”. Mr Robinson, in a recent statement, said: “I am certain we can find a way through this issue and will do all I can to progress it to a consensual conclusion. I would be equally content if the parties agreed on some other approach or arrangement that might reach an outcome that everyone in Portadown wishes to see.”