The Ulster Unionist Party has issued a statement supporting the "right" of the Orange Order to march "throughout Northern Ireland and in Portadown in particular".
The statement was issued last night during a meeting of the Ulster Unionist Council convened to review the party's electoral position and divisions within the party over the Belfast Agreement.
The meeting convened after 6 p.m. yesterday with unionist sources saying the party leader, Mr David Trimble, was likely to come under pressure from dissidents about its performance in last week's elections when its share of the Northern vote fell to an all-time low.
However, Mr Trimble retains the support of a sizeable majority of the council, the governing body of the Ulster Unionist Party. The council embraces both the Ulster Unionist Party and the Orange Order, although there have been suggestions in recent times about separating the order from the political organisation and ending the organic links which have been in place since the formation of the Ulster Unionists.
The meeting's agenda was headed by the leadership's intentions in regard to the granting of positions on the new power-sharing executive to Sinn Fein in the absence of any decommissioning of weapons by the IRA.
However, it is understood that early in the meeting the issue of Drumcree was raised and a statement was issued by the executive of the council stating: "This executive totally supports the efforts of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland in ensuring the rights of its members to peaceful procession throughout Northern Ireland and in Portadown in particular."