A leading member of the Orange Order has written an open letter to a Northern Ireland newspaper in an attempt to resolve the impasse over Drumcree. Mr David McNarry has passed a "genuine request" for clarification addressed to the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition to the Belfast Telegraph.
Mr McNarry asks: "Is a short meeting between the residents' coalition and the Orangemen all it would take to remove your objections preventing loyal Orangemen from walking along the Garvaghy Road?" and "What specifically is it that the residents' coalition wish to talk about to Orangemen which is relevant to the institution?"
In the past, the Orange Order was criticised both by the Parades Commission and the Residents Coalition for not entering into direct discussions with the residents.
He has now asked residents to reply to his request "in open form" to the same newspaper. He said it was important for their reply to be made public so that "civic society, the Parades Commission, the Government and the Orange Institution can draw their own conclusions".