Talks aimed at resolving the Drumcree parade dispute have broken up without agreement, as a legal appeal over the contentious march is scheduled for Monday.<\/p>\n
Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant described the situation as being between a \u201crock and a hard place\u201d after unsuccessful late-night negotiations at Hillsborough Castle with representatives from the Orange Order and Garvaghy Road residents on the fifth day of the stand-off.<\/p>\n
The Portadown District of the unionist Orange Order wants to complete its traditional route for the first time in almost 30 years after the Parades Commission ruled they should be allowed along the Garvaghy Road, but the coalition of residents in the largely nationalist area is opposed to the march going ahead.<\/p>\n
Sir Chris told reporters his door remained open for further discussion, but said: \u201cThis is the end of these conversations.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe haven\u2019t come to a settled agreement and it\u2019s a shame but my door remains open obviously, tomorrow and in future days.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve discussed a wide range of options, including mediation, including an option where the right to march was respected but wasn\u2019t exercised, including an option where there was a final march and no further applications for marches into the future, and we\u2019ve not managed to come to agreement on any of all that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sir Chris added: \u201cI still believe that keeping conversations going and the dialogue going is a really important part of coming to a resolution for everybody.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a court case on Monday. Obviously, we\u2019ll have to see how that plays out.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I would say that the law, in the end, is the law.\u201d<\/p>\n
The legal bid over the parade decision which was launched by residents had been due to be heard on Friday but was postponed until Monday to allow talks to continue.<\/p>\n
Loyalist activist and legal adviser to the Orangemen Jamie Bryson said they will accept the determination of the legal appeal on Monday as he challenged residents of Garvaghy Road to commit to walking away if their bid fails.<\/p>\n
Speaking after the talks ended without agreement on Thursday night, Mr Bryson said: \u201cThe challenge that we would put down to the Garvaghy Road residents \u2013 they\u2019re going to the Court of Appeal on Monday \u2013 if the Court of Appeal upholds this determination, commit to accepting the law and walk away, and we\u2019ll do the same.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbide by the law, and if the Court of Appeal upholds the determination, get off the road, stop breaking the law, and allow the parade to go ahead.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we lose, we\u2019ll accept that.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have followed the legal process all along.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo if we lose substantively and the Court of Appeal sets the Parades Commission\u2019s decision aside, we\u2019ll accept that because we\u2019ve abided by the law at all times \u2013 they haven\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
He was accompanying Portadown District master Nigel Dawson, who said they had a \u201cright to walk down the Garvaghy Road\u201d.<\/p>\n
Breand\u00e1n Mac Cionnaith, of the Garvaghy Road Residents\u2019 Coalition, told reporters the Secretary of State wants residents and the Orange Order to reach agreement but contended that \u201cthe reality is\u201d there is \u201cno such thing as half a march\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cThere\u2019s a march, or there\u2019s not a march \u2013 simply that.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve made a share that our community has not given us any mandate to speak about a march.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Mac Cionnaith said it was \u201cnot possible\u201d to get a \u201cmeeting of minds\u201d in the talks.<\/p>\n
Asked if the talks had run their course, he said: \u201cFor the time being, yes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Mac Cionnaith added: \u201cThey may want to re-embark upon another process at some stage, but the current process is done.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked if the road would be blocked if the appeal fails, Mr Mac Cionnaith said: \u201cThat\u2019s not my decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we have pointed out, there\u2019s 4,000 people in our community signed a petition.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose 4,000 people deserve to have their voice heard, and we\u2019ll see what goes on that.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf 4,000 people individually decide to come to a certain position at one time and make the same decision, that they\u2019ll all come collectively at the one time.\u201d<\/p>\n
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