The Parades Commission issued a ruling last night re-routing a contested loyalist parade away from nationalist areas of north Belfast.
Orangemen marching on the "Tour of the North" organised by Belfast Orange Hall United Districts' Committee have been banned from entering Cliftonpark Avenue beyond Alloa Street, Cliftonville Road, Antrim Road, and Duncairn Gardens between Antrim Road and Edlingham Street.
In taking its decision, the commission noted "the very serious civil disturbances surrounding this parade in 1996, with violent confrontation, extensive damage to property and serious intimidation causing significant and sustained damage to community relations in the area".
The ruling continued: "We note the potential for public disorder associated with the parade, and that the consequences of the disorder four years ago have had repercussions for both sides of the local community which have continued to the present."
The commission also considered recent changes in demographics, issues of territory and housing and the Orange Order's refusal "to engage either with local residents or with the commission".
The commission issued a second ruling last night, preventing Portadown District LOL No 1 from marching between Drumcree Parish Church and Castle Street, "and in particular from entering that part of the notified route which includes the entire length of the Garvaghy Road" on Sunday, June 18th.
Since Wednesday, Mr Brian Currin, a sentence review commissioner overseeing paramilitary prisoner releases, has been holding preliminary discussions with representatives of the Orange Order in Portadown and the Garvaghy Road Residents' Coalition, although hopes of a resolution before a series of parades planned from July 2nd to 5th have been played down.
Speaking after his two-and-a-half hour meeting with Mr Currin, residents' spokesman Mr Breandan Mac Cionnaith said he believed Mr Currin to be independent and impartial. He added: "People should not underestimate the problems that have to be faced here, and neither should they try to hype up what's currently happening at the present time."
The Orange Order spokesman for Portadown District, Mr David Jones, said: "We felt we were able to get across the issues we wanted to put forward, and to set things up for what may follow.
"As far as we are concerned, this is just the initial part of setting up a process. We are just going to take it as it comes along to see what can be gained or what can be sorted out."
Mr Currin will meet Northern Ireland Office officials today as he continues to seek a resolution. A judge and member of the ANC, Mr Currin helped set up the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa. He will return there tomorrow evening after his meeting with British officials and is expected to be back in Northern Ireland next week.
The Sinn Fein North Belfast MLA, Mr Gerry Kelly, met the commission before lunchtime yesterday to discuss the "Tour of the North" march, which was scheduled for June 16th. He said his half-hour meeting with the commission was "short and to the point".
Mr Kelly said that in other years the Orange Order marched another "straightforward, traditional" route, which did not pass through a nationalist area.
He added that every second year, the parade "snakes massively off the route for a mile-and-a-half for no other reason apparently but to go through a Catholic area".