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(by Ed Maloney, Sunday Tribune)
A major Anglo-Irish row is brewing over controversial appointments made to the North's Parades Commission last week by NI Secretary Mo Mowlam, the Sunday Tribune has learned.The Irish government has lodged a formal protest with the British alleging that it was not consulted about the appointments, apparently in contravention of the terms of the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement.
The row will cross the Atlantic next week when the Parades Commission starts a five day lobbying trip to Boston, New York and Washington DC. In a significant snub to the British government, the powerful Comptroller of New York City, Mr Alan Hevesi has refused to meet the Commission unless representatives of the Garvaghy Road and Lower Ormeau residents groups are present.
The row, which threatens to extend to the very existence of the Commission, started when the authorities announced new appointments to the controversial body. Two non-Nationalist Catholics and two Loyalists, Glen Barr an ex-UDA leader and Tommy Cheevers of the Apprentice Boys, joined the Commission while the sole Nationalist member, the SDLP's Berna McIvor resigned. The appointments were criticised widely by Nationalists amid questions about the Commission's impartiality.
The row intensified when the Nationalist Irish News published a photograph of an Orange Sash-bedecked Tommy Cheevers apparently marching in a guard of honour at the 1984 funeral of a notorious North Belfast UVF killer John Bingham who had been shot dead by the IRA.
Asked about his connections the Progressive Unionist leader David Ervine confirmed yesterday that Mr Cheevers "had attended PUP meetings" in 1984 but he did not know whether he was a member then. He wasn't in the PUP now, he added, nor did he know why Mr Cheevers was at a UVF funeral. The PUP is the UVF's political wing.
In a separate development the Garvaghy Road Residents group are working on plans to stage a massive rally and protest in Portadown on March 22nd, to coincide with the start of the Parades Commission's work for this year's marching season.
In a foretaste of what could happen at the annual Drumcree parade this July, it is understood that the group plans to ask thousands of Nationalists from all over Ireland to turn up to show solidarity. The potential for serious clashes both with Loyalists and the security forces thus threatens to place Drumcree at the centre of controversy just as the Stormont Talks are reaching a climax.
The Donegal independent TD Harry Blaney, who is said to be unhappy at the Taoiseach's Northern policy, has already agreed to attend and invitations will be sent out to the Sinn Fein and SDLP negotiating teams at the Stormont Talks as well as all the parties in the Dail.
The Parades Commission will spend two days in Washington seemingly with the intention of lobbying against efforts by Congressman Joe Kennedy to push a motion through Congress condemning the handling of last year's Drumcree parade. Two Nationalist residents groups' representatives will be in the US at the same time thus ensuring that the controversy over the Commission will become centre stage for Irish-America.