Parades Commission to make ruling on Drumcree march

The new Parades Commission in the North is due to make a decision today on whether to allow the Orange Order to march down the nationalist Garvaghy Road in Portadown this year.

The order has been banned from parading along the route every year since 1998 due to its refusal to hold dialogue with local residents.

However, it recently agreed to meet the residents in the hope of securing permission for a march this year.

The new-look Parades Commission has welcomed the move and says it hopes it will eventually lead to agreement between the two sides.

The residents, however, have accused the Orangemen of media manipulation and have asked them to clarify if the proposed talks will have no preconditions and a completely open agenda.