The Five Demands

Il Ministro di Stato Hugo Swire lancia un concorso per la nomina del nuovo presidente e di nuovi membri della Parades Commission

L’Hillsborough Agreement ne aveva sancito la fine, ma il ‘due di picche’ dell’Orange Order a Peter Robinson e al ‘suo’  DUP, insieme al timore che le nuove proposte potessero dare troppo potere individuale ai membri del Sinn Fein, hanno cancellato in un colpo solo uno dei punti più controversi dell’accordo frutto di giorni di serrati colloqui.
Queste le motivazioni che hanno portato il Ministro di Stato nordirlandese a lanciare una competizione per 6 poltrone della Commissione Parate e per la nomina del nuovo presidente.
“Il ruolo della Commissione Parate rimane estremamente importante e impegnativo,” ha sottolineato invitando ad aderire al concorso coloro “che hanno un genuino interesse a garantire che i diritti di coloro che partecipano alle parate e di coloro che vengono in un qualche ne vengono toccati, vengano trattati con uguale rispetto.”

Parades group applicants sought (NewsLetter)
An open competition was announced yesterday for the appointment of a new chairman and members of the Parades Commission.
Northern Ireland minister of state Hugo Swire said he regretted that such a process was necessary. “Regrettably in the absence of a local solution to a new framework for parading I have been left with no alternative but to begin the process of making appointments to the Parades Commission in time for next year’s marching season,” he said.
Last month the Orange Order snubbed a request from First Minister Peter Robinson to reconsider its stance on parading. It emerged that the first minister wrote to the Grand Lodge asking them to back proposals from the Hillsborough talks, which would have seen the Parades Commission scrapped and a new start to managing parades in Northern Ireland.
But the Order refused to endorse the plans, with several internal sources saying members felt they had been taken for granted during negotiations at Hillsborough.
There was also concern expressed that the new proposals would give individual members of Sinn Fein too much influence in local decisions.
Mr Swire said yesterday he had therefore launched a recruitment competition to make appointments to the position of commission chairman and six members of the commission.
“The role of the Parades Commission remains extremely important and challenging,” he said.
“I would encourage individuals to apply who have a genuine interest in ensuring that the rights of those who parade and those who are affected by parading are treated with equal respect.”