Empowering McGuinness will not solve parading issue - Allister
08 February 2010
TUV Leader Jim Allister QC has turned his attention to the parading aspect of the Sinn Fein/DUP Hillsborough deal and questioned if what is proposed will really help, particularly if OFMDFM becomes the department to which parading powers are devolved.
In a statement Mr Allister said:-
“The sole proposal in the Hillsborough Agreement, which is supposed to be to the advantage of unionism, namely potential changes on parading, needs to be carefully evaluated to see if in fact it is much of an advance.
“The imposition on the Loyal Orders of mandatory dialogue with objectors – bearing in mind the recalcitrant agenda of some of these groups – followed by adjudication by those likely to be appointed by the Joint First Ministers, may not be the route to resolution. Allowing Martin McGuinness to have his own placemen nominated as adjudicators does not strike me as progress.
“Moreover, imposing a code of conduct which is legally enforceable, and with punitive repercussions if breached, may turn into such a limiting imposition as to impede the colour, scale and pageantry of traditional parades.
“The suggestion that parades should become a ‘transferred matter’ and thereby be devolved to Stormont, raises the important question of to which department would it be devolved? If the intention is to give these powers to the Joint First Ministers, then this would be a retrograde step. Further empowering Martin McGuinness and Sinn Fein is not, in my view, going to resolve the parading issue.”
