Saulters silenced
Orange Order Grand Master Robert Saulters has done an amazing
U-turn in the past few days in relation to the organisation's
position on speaking to nationalist residents. It appears that
Saulters has been effectively silenced by senior elements in the
Orange Order following comments which indicated a willingness to
enter dialogue over contentious parades.
On Sunday Saulters said that he would be putting the issue of
direct dialogue with the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition to the
Grand Lodge.
He also expressed the opinion that it would have been in the
interests of the Orange Order to talk directly to residents
groups and that this had been clear to him since the time of
proximity talks in Hillsborough last year.
However on Tuesday in what marked a breathtaking turnaround
Saulters issued a statement from Orange Headquarters in Belfast
claiming that there was confusion over his weekend remarks.
Orangemen talking to nationalist residents associations could
only be considered ``when it is finally determined that Sinnn
Féin/IRA declare their terrorist campaign is over for good, that
their illegal weapons are decommissioned, and genuine remorse is
publicly expressed,'' he said.
Saulters's U-turn has underlined the tensions and growing
divisons within Unionism and the Orange Order over the way
forward.
It is clear that there are many within Unionsim who realise what
the future can only be built on dialogue and accommodation.
Robert Saulters knows this but he has been silenced by the `No'
men who still control the Orange Order and large sections of
unionism itself. The reactionary element still holds great sway
and will resist any and every move towards creating an equal
society. They must not be allowed to hold the rest of the people
of Ireland to ransom.
Rather they should be isolated so that the rest of us can move on
to build a peaceful future. As the leader of the Ulster Unionist
Party and First Minister in the Six County Executive what better
example could David Trimble show than by commencing direct
dialogue now with Sinn Féin?
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