Two unionists associated with the Orange Order in Portadown are to be appointed to the new seven-member Parades Commission to be chaired by a former senior English trade unionist Roger Poole, Northern Secretary Peter Hain has announced.
Former SDLP MP for West Belfast Dr Joe Hendron is also being appointed to the new Parades Commission. The main focus of interest, however, will be on the fact that David Burrows and DUP member Donald McKay, both Orange Order members, are taking up positions on the board.
The order's ruling Grand Orange Lodge hitherto had a policy of refusing to deal with the Parades Commission. The decision of Mr Burrows, who has held a senior annual position at the contentious Drumcree parades, and Mr McKay, a member of the Portadown ex-servicemen's Orange Lodge, to accept the posts appeared to put them at variance with the order.
The appointment of Orangemen to the board will be viewed as a confidence-building measure addressed towards unionists. Sinn Féin and the SDLP reacted with concern and suspicion.
In a rather measured statement last night, the Grand Orange Lodge, the Royal Black Institution and the Independent Loyal Orange Institution, noted the appointments with "interest".
They said the system of dealing with parades remained "fundamentally flawed". However, they added, "It is our intention to engage with the government and other stakeholders in the new year in a positive, constructive and substantive way to enable a permanent resolution of the issues surrounding parades."
Mr Burrows was a district officer for Portadown Loyal Order No 1, which is still seeking to parade down the nationalist Garvaghy Road from Drumcree. For over 10 years, he served as district master in Portadown.
Mr MacKay, a senior fire officer in the North's fire service for 26 years, served as an Ulster Unionist councillor in Craigavon from 1993 to 97. In addition to the Orange Order, he is a member of the Royal Black Preceptory.
