A leading member of the Orange Order in north Belfast said yesterday that it would be "wise" to talk with nationalist residents not connected with Sinn Fein about future marches in the area.
Mr Bill Murdie, chairman of the Clifton Street Orange Hall United Districts Committee, said he believed there could be dialogue with members of the nationalist community about concerns arising from parades.
He was speaking at a press conference held at the Clifton Street Orange Hall in Belfast in response to the decision by the North's Parades Commission to order a rerouteing of next Friday's contentious Tour of the North parade. Mr Murdie stressed that his remarks did not relate to the contentious parades at Dunloy, Co Antrim, Garvaghy Road in Portadown, Ormeau Road in Belfast and other locations.
A local Ulster Unionist Party councillor, Mr Nelson McCausland, later criticised Mr Murdie's comments and said no individual had the right to alter or amend the position of the Orange Order, which was determined by the Grand Lodge.
Unionist residents in the area would be deeply resentful at the way the Parades Commission had "capitulated to the violence of Sinn Fein stormtroopers on the streets two years ago", he said.
Addressing the press conference, at which the decision of the Parades Commission was roundly condemned, Mr Murdie said: "If there are concerned people in the nationalist community who have no objection to the Orange Institution having their parade and are happy to see an Orange parade passing within a certain distance of their homes, then those people would be worth having a word with."
He continued: "There is nothing wrong, from my perspective, with having dialogue with genuine people who are concerned and people who will recognise there are two traditions living in Northern Ireland. We are entitled to have our tradition upheld and our main tradition is our parades which take place every year."
Mr Murdie said the Orange Order would not talk with Mr Anthony Barnes, of the Community Response Against Sectarianism, as it had received information that he was involved with Sinn Fein, although Mr Barnes later denied any such connection.
Having held meetings with the Lord Mayor, Dr David Alderdice, and representatives of 12 different Protestant groups, the United Districts Committee had agreed to abide by the law, Mr Murdie said. Twenty-two Protestant families had been forced to leave their homes after disturbances during the parade two years ago and had not been able to return since, he claimed.
The Orange parade of north Belfast would not cross police lines, but a letter of protest would be handed over when the parade was halted.
"It is, however, our intention to walk the greatest distance of our route as is possible. We would now appeal to the members of our Order and our genuine supporters to parade with dignity and decorum," a statement said.
It added: "The rule of mob law has again succeeded with the threat of imported republican rent-a-mobs, by the busload, coming into north Belfast."
The United Districts Committee would not be meeting the Parades Commission "at this point in time", but it was likely it would be in correspondence with it following the decision to reroute the parade.
The Northern Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, welcomed the decision of the organisers of the Tour of the North to propose an alternative route. Although many would be disappointed that it would not be possible to follow the original route, she had no doubt that the "constructive attitude" which the Orange Order had displayed would have widespread support.