Former Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown is to head a review of parading in Northern Ireland, it was announced today.
Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain said that Lord Ashdown - who was previously the international High Representative for Bosnia and who once served as a Royal Marines officer in the North - would bring great "expertise and credibility" to the job.
"Lord Ashdown brings a huge amount of experience in conflict resolution with him and is highly regarded both nationally and internationally," Mr Hain said.
"He has an excellent understanding of the issues that affect Northern Ireland and his work starts at a time when the historic agreement reached between the DUP and Sinn Féin has moved the political process on to a new era."
The review of parades - such as the annual loyalist Orange Order parade at Drumcree which have in the past been a flashpoint for trouble - was announced earlier this year. Its remit is to make recommendations on how parading can be taken forward in a way "consistent with the shared future objectives of respect, tolerance, responsible citizenship and promoting equality of opportunity and human rights".
Lord Ashdown said: "I know the work will be challenging and there are no simple answers to what are fundamentally very difficult problems, but I am looking forward to the challenge and to the debate and to contributing to what must be, if it is to succeed, a locally-grown solution to this issue."
The review will begin next month and is expected to deliver its final recommendations in early 2008.
The Orange Order backed the review as it issued fresh criticisms of the body which rules on controversial marches. A statement by the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland said: "We all know there has been a major problem with the Parades Commission and the legislation which created it.
"That legislation is deeply flawed and has caused more problems than it has solved. "The bizarre decisions of the Parades Commission have led to an even more divided community. "We welcomed the Government's initial decision to review the parading issue and we are pleased that another step has been taken by announcing the membership of the review body."
But Sinn Féin expressed caution over Lord Ashdown's appointment. The party's South Belfast MLA Alex Maskey said: "Sinn Féin would clearly have reservations about the ability of Paddy Ashdown to act as an impartial and independent chairperson of such a group given his military and political involvement in Ireland in the past.
"However many of the local appointees to the group do have a grasp and an experience of the difficult issue of contentious parades."
Mr Maskey added: "The key to resolving contentious parades is through local dialogue between marching orders and the communities they wish to march through. This is a difficult issue which in the past has resulted in significant community conflict and unrest. It is also an issue which needs to be resolved.
"That means groups including the Loyal Orders reflecting upon new political realities and seriously considering the motivation behind seeking to march through communities where they are clearly not wanted."