RUC and Mowlam retain say on parades
Last Friday the controversial Parades Bill was published. Press
statements indicate that it will transfer responsibility for
decisions about contentious parades from the RUC to the Parades
Commission. The legislation, which should be in effect for the
next marching season, gives the Parades Commission statutory
powers to reroute parades and imposes conditions on the parade
organisers but in practice the final say will remain with the RUC
and Direct Ruler Mo Mowlam.
Sinn Féin Chairperson Mitchel McLaughlin voiced concern about the
lack of clarity over who has the primary responsibility on the
question of rerouting, but he welcomed ``the assurance that the
remit of the Parades Commission will not cover sporting events.''
In the fine print of the draft it becomes obvious that the
Commisson only has the power to reroute parades and that the
power to ban marches still rests with Direct Ruler Mowlam. The
legislation, however, allows for the RUC to dispute the
Commissions' decisions directly with the Secretary of State and
the RUC can do as it sees fit ``on the day''.
``Given the RUC's history in relation to parades this could in
practice mean no change,'' McLaughlin said.
McLaughlin stresses that the commission is not compelled ``to take
on board the views of the host community, and their right to say
no to an offensive parade,'' but must take into account the
``long-standing'' nature of parades despite the changing
demographics of the Six Counties.
There is also the unknown and delayed powers in relation to
``expressions of cultural identity'' which Mowlam was unable to
clarify which could in effect encompass any expression of
culture.
In the opinion of Breandan MacCionnaith of the Garvaghy Residents
Coalition, ``Ronnie Flanagan will still be able to say that,
because of the threat to the nationalists of Portadown, he has to
take action and [can] impose martial law.'' In effect Orange
parades can still be forced through nationalist areas. And while
Alistair Graham, who heads the Parades Commission, talks of the
``experience gleaned from this year's marching season as
preparation for the new role as a statutory body,'' the executive
decisions will still lie with the Secretary of State and the RUC.
On the day before the Bill was published 14 residents groups
called on the members of the commission to resign.
The groups said that they had no confidence in the Commission and
complained that it had remained silent on the ``RUC/British army
invasion of Garvaghy Road and the curfew before the Drumcree
march.'' MacCionnaith said: ``Confidence can only be rebuilt by
them giving adequate explanations... and guarantees that the
commission will not become a puppet of Ronnie Flanagan and the
Northern Ireland Office.''
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/aprn.gif)