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Orangemen have been advised to adopt caution
over a government review of the Parades Commission.
Speaking at a meeting of the County Grand Lodge of Belfast,
the former secretary of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland,
Bro. John McCrea, J.P., said: "the Grand Orange Lodge
of Ireland were correct in expressing caution in relation
to such an exercise".
"The statement from the Northern Ireland Office is ambiguous
and leaves a number of points unanswered. Once again this
could be a Government attempt to cover up their real intentions
and try to lead the Orange Institution into acceptance of
the bad legislation which established the Parades Commission.
"Government is aware that Grand Lodge considered the
legislation of 1997/98, which gave far reaching powers to
the Parades Commission, was flawed legislation not acceptable.
Since 1997 the Grand Lodge officers have made their position
clear and expressed the need for change. I welcome the fact
that the Northern Ireland Office have at last accepted the
need for change and Grand Lodge must take the opportunity
now being presented by Government to present the case for
civil liberty.
"Mo Mowlam has proposed to change the composition of
the Commission and appoint a new chairman. That alone will
change nothing and government must realise that the core problem
is the legislation. A review within the existing framework
of law and structures will be useless and only serve to widen
the acceptance gap".
Bro. McCrea said, "Mo Mowlam referred to mediation arrangements
and said it will now be necessary for Government to set out
clearly its proposals.
"The use of the Mediation Network for Northern Ireland
would prove useless. This organisation is about as discredited
as the Parades Commission. After all, for the past two years,
they have been working under the control of Alistair Graham
and the Parades Commission. They have recruited local facilitators,
organised training and acted for the Commission in many instances.
The theory of conflict resolution espoused by Mediation Network
may be sound but I have yet to see successful results, where
they have been involved in trying to resolve parades issues.
"Mo Mowlam has said 'Government would welcome views
from interested parties and the public'. This is a mammoth
shift in policy. There is probably no more "interested
parties" than the Orange Institution. I would remind
her, the new Secretary of State and the Northern Ireland Office
that from July 1997 that the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland
were not approached by Government for their views. Not even
a phone call from Dr. Mowlam, one of her Ministers, or staff
at Stormont. Not surprising when the objective was to take
away from a large section of the community their civil liberty
of the freedom of assembly and the freedom of movement.
"Personnel changes alone will not make the "pill"
palatable. Legislation must be changed. Grand Lodge must present
the legitimate case. The question is -Will the Government
listen and act?" asked Bro. McCrea.
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