Delegates from the Apprentice Boys of Derry and the Bogside Residents Group have agreed to meet tomorrow in an effort to reach a compromise before next Saturday's Loyal Order Relief of Derry parade.
Both sides held a 2 1/2-hour meeting in Derry yesterday, their second meeting in five days. At yesterday's meeting, in the offices of Derry's Town Centre Management group, the groups exchanged position papers. Businessmen Mr Garvan O'Doherty and Mr Brendan Duddy, who jointly chaired the meetings, described yesterday's exchange as pragmatic.
"There has been an exchange of papers. A number of very detailed conversations took place and from that some matters arose and we are expecting position papers to be resubmitted for a further meeting that, at the latest, will take place on Wednesday at one o'clock but it may come earlier," Mr O'Doherty said.
"We are working very much towards a long-term goal and the papers that have been presented by the BRG and the Apprentice Boys and a separate paper by the joint chairmen are all leading to a long-term solution to this conflict.
"At this stage we are working towards this weekend's parade but we are also in tandem taking a long-term approach and we hope to try and eventually, in a short while, reach a long-term solution," he said. Asked if the opposing groups were moving closer to each other, Mr O'Doherty said they were being positive and pragmatic. "We hope from that, that points of contention can be resolved. The papers from the BRG are very substantive in terms of trying to reach an end goal.
"The Apprentice Boys are now considering this in detail and on some matters arising they require consultation with their members in order to reply," he said.
Although neither group would comment to waiting reporters, it is understood that one of the most contentious issues to be resolved is that of so-called "feeder" parades on the morning of next Saturday's main parade in Derry. The BRG's stated position before the meetings was that there had to be agreement with local residents' groups in advance of feeder parades in Bellaghy, Dunloy and on Belfast's Lower Ormeau Road.
The Apprentice Boys delegation consisted of the order's governor, Mr Alistair Simpson, DUP Assembly member Mr William Hay, and Mr David Hoey. Mr Donnacha Mac Niallais, Mr Charlie Lamberton and Mr Robin Percival represented the BRG.
A woman escaped injury in a gun attack in west Belfast, when two masked men forced their way into her house in the Springfield Road area at around 6p.m. yesterday and asked for several people by name. When told by the woman that she was alone they fired two set into a TV set and left. The RUC have described the attack as a "cowardly and terrifying attack on a an innocent woman".