Ban on N. Irish parade upheld

Catholic protesters are prevented from reaching Protestant marchers in West Belfast last Saturday

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Tensions remain high in Northern Ireland after the Parades Commission upheld a decision to ban Protestant groups from marching through a Catholic area.

The Parades Commission said on Thursday that having carried out a full review, it stood by its decision earlier this week to ban the parade from the nationalist road in Drumcree for the fourth consecutive year.

Earlier, the Portadown Orangemen had put new proposals to the commission to allow them march down Garvaghy Road, describing them as a "quantum leap forward."

The decision was welcomed by the spokesman for the Garvaghy Road Resident Coalition, Brendan MacCionnaith, who said there was no justification for the commission to reverse its decision of last Monday.

David Jones, spokesman for the Portadown Orangemen, told the Press Association they were "not entirely surprised but deeply disappointed" at the decision. He said the commission was clearly siding with one side in the dispute.

The annual Drumcree Orange March has in recent years been one the most contentious parades of the marching season in Northern Ireland and comes at a time when sectarian tensions are running high and the future of the Good Friday Agreement is under threat.

Security chiefs, fearful of more street violence, shipped 1,600 extra troops into Northern Ireland ahead of the Drumcree parade. Many are certain to be in Portadown to enforce the commission ruling.

MORE STORIES  Q&A: Tension at Dumcree

Last weekend, First Minister David Trimble resigned his post in protest over the Irish Republican Army's refusal to hand over weapons, throwing the future of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Northern Ireland's local government, into doubt.

By law, the British and Irish governments have until August 12 to come up with a solution acceptable to the political parties in the assembly. If no agreement is reached, London will have to either suspend the assembly or call fresh elections.

Blair and Ahern to chair talks between all sides on the Northern Ireland divide

Both UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern have cleared their calendars on Monday and Tuesday in order to hold intensive negotiations with Northern Ireland's politicians in Shropshire, England.

Former U.S. senator George Mitchell who oversaw the multi-party negotiations that produced the Good Friday accord of 1998, has expressed hope, telling CNN that "the overwhelming majority (of people) want peace."

Mitchell said it was up to political leader to compromise on conflicting demands from the different communities striving for peace on their own terms.

"This isn't easy, it doesn't happen swiftly and is often frustrating," he added.