Nationalists last night welcomed the decision by the Parades Commission to ban Orangemen from marching down the Lower Ormeau Road in Belfast during next week's July 12th celebrations.
Mr Gerard Rice, spokesman for the nationalist Lower Ormeau Concerned Community, said residents welcomed the announcement. "Needless to say the community is absolutely and totally relieved at the decision." Residents would now call off planned demonstrations.
A Sinn Fein councillor, Mr Sean Hayes, said the Orange Order must now accept that direct dialogue with residents must take place. "They can no longer hide behind excuses to run away from direct dialogue."
However, Ballynafeigh Orange district master Mr Noel Liggett said he was disappointed at the decision. Orange sources said the announcement was not "going down well". Later, the Orange Order called for the resignation of the Parades Commission.
The commission said the failure of Orangemen to engage fully in discussion with the residents' group was behind its decision. It appealed to both sides "to invest" time and energy in developing "substantive and substantial" engagement.
It said that in its "difficult role of balancing conflicting rights", the commission had proposed engagement should take place to find an accommodation. The Orange Order leadership strategy preventing district lodges talking to residents' groups continued to give the commission "difficulty".
"At this stage the commission does not have any evidence to suggest that there has been sufficient attempt to address the legitimate concerns, and a preparedness to accommodate those concerns, where it is within their [Orangemen] power to do so," it added.
The lodge has faced numerous bans from the lower end of the road in the past two years but was allowed to march last July 12th. The commission said the decision to allow the parade last year was set against the background of the "exceptional circumstances prevailing at the time". Northern Ireland, it said, was engulfed in violence surrounding the decision to ban the Drumcree parade.
It is understood that Orangemen from lodges in East Belfast and Sandy Row said they would re-route their parades on July 12th to the Ormeau Road to support the Ballynafeigh Orangemen if the parade was banned.
SDLP Assembly member for South Belfast Ms Carmel Hanna said: "The way forward is dialogue, accommodation and a sense of perspective and the sooner this matter can be resolved locally, between the Ballynafeigh lodge and the residents, the better."
Mr Nigel Dodds, of the Democratic Unionist Party, said the commission should be abolished.
Mr George Patton, of the Orange Order, said he was "very disappointed and frustrated".
Mr David Jones, spokesman for the Portadown Orangemen, expressed his support for the Ballynafeigh lodge. "Once again we see the unfairness of the Parades Commission in its decisions."
Earlier, the chairman of the commission praised the "restrained and responsible" way in which Orangemen and the Garvaghy Road residents conducted themselves during Sunday's parade in Portadown, Co Armagh.
Mr Alistair Graham said it was "a credit to both parties that the parade passed with no major incident" being reported. However, while the commission understood the importance of the parade to the Orangemen, and was equally aware of the concerns of the nationalist community, local face-to-face dialogue in an atmosphere free of protest and nightly conflict could resolve the dispute.
Meanwhile, the Garvaghy Road residents' spokesman, Mr Breandan Mac Cionnaith, has warned the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, against forcing a parade down the Garvaghy Road. He said Mr Blair would have "everything to lose" if he overturned the decision of the Parades Commission. Such a move would, at a critical stage in the peace process, send a message that violence works.
Orangemen in Derry have decided to postpone five parades due to take place this week in support of the Drumcree protest.
Mr Gregory Campbell, of the Democratic Unionist Party, said the Orange Order in Portadown wanted to ensure that there was no violence of any kind. Mr Campbell, who is the parades' facilitator, said he hoped the situation at Drumcree would be resolved in the next few weeks. The Alliance party chief whip, Mr David Ford, said Orangemen in Derry were to be "commended" for "acting responsibly".