Alliance Responds to Parade Speculation

6.47.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 24th Apr 2008

Alliance Party Justice Spokesperson, Stephen Farry MLA

Alliance Party Justice Spokesperson, Stephen Farry MLA, has responded to press speculation on the content of the Strategic Review of Parades which is due to have its interim conclusions published next week. The party has stressed that Northern Ireland has much to gain from a radical review of parading, with everything on the table.

Stephen Farry stated:

"Alliance believes that there is little to fear and much to gain from a radical review of policy and structures for handling disputed parades. There can be no sacred cows in this process.

"Unrest and violence associated with disputed parades has created major problems for democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and undermined our economy. The Ashdown Review has been billed as a search for a global solution to parading problems.

"We look forward to the forthcoming report of the Strategic Review of Parades, and the public debate to follow on its interim recommendations.

"From our perspective, we will wish to see a move away from a process where territory is in effect associated with a communal identity towards an approach based on balancing and reconciling competing human rights. It is also critical that any methodology is open, transparent, and carries cross-community confidence."

ENDS