from IAIS: MOWLAM PROPOSES PARADE LEGISLATION


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MOWLAM PROPOSES PARADE LEGISLATION
10/17/97 11:56 EST

Britain's Northern Secretary Mo Mowlam moved today to change
the rules governing contentious parades, sparking outrage
from the Orange Order. Under Dr Mowlam's proposed
legislation, the Parades Commission will have powers to
re-route marches, a power until now exercised by the RUC
(Royal Ulster Constabulary). Organisers of marches have the
right of appeal, as has the RUC chief constable.


Dr Mowlam decided against a controversial proposal from some
unionists to include Gaelic games and the Irish language
under the scope of the Parades Commission. The Grand Orange
Lodge of Ireland slammed the proposals as "draconian" and
a further concession to "militant republicans". Armagh
County Grand Chaplain, the Rev William Bingham, said there
could be "serious implications" for the future.


Gerard Rice of the nationalist Lower Ormeau Concerned
Community in Belfast gave the legislation a cautious welcome
but questioned the existence of the Commission itself. Sinn
Fein's Mitchel McLaughlin broadly welcomed the bill. However
he expressed concern that the RUC would retain the power to
decide if a parade would go ahead or not.

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The Irish American Information Service is a non-profit
orginization provding up-to-the-minute objective coverage of
news as it happens in Ireland and the North.  Please
visit us on the World Wide Web at http://www.iais.org
 
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nytire-10.19.97-22:47:52-17674