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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Ashdown to head parading review | Ashdown to head parading review |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Former Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown is to head a review of parading in Northern Ireland, it has been announced. | Former Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown is to head a review of parading in Northern Ireland, it has been announced. |
| NI Secretary Peter Hain said Lord Ashdown would bring great "expertise and credibility" to the job. | NI Secretary Peter Hain said Lord Ashdown would bring great "expertise and credibility" to the job. |
| Lord Ashdown - a former international high representative for Bosnia - was raised in Northern Ireland. | Lord Ashdown - a former international high representative for Bosnia - was raised in Northern Ireland. |
| The government promised an independent review of parading in the St Andrews Agreement. | The government promised an independent review of parading in the St Andrews Agreement. |
| Lord Ashdown and his review team will begin their work in May, with a view to reporting to the government in 2008. | Lord Ashdown and his review team will begin their work in May, with a view to reporting to the government in 2008. |
| "Lord Ashdown brings a huge amount of experience in conflict resolution with him and is highly regarded both nationally and internationally," Mr Hain said. | "Lord Ashdown brings a huge amount of experience in conflict resolution with him and is highly regarded both nationally and internationally," Mr Hain said. |
| OTHER REVIEW TEAM MEMBERS | OTHER REVIEW TEAM MEMBERS |
| "He has an excellent understanding of the issues that affect Northern Ireland and his work starts at a time when the historic agreement reached between the DUP and Sinn Fein has moved the political process on to a new era." | |
| Sinn Fein expressed caution over Lord Ashdown's appointment. | |
| Party leader Gerry Adams said that his background as a former serving soldier in Northern Ireland meant he was not equipped for the job. | |
| Lord Ashdown rejected the criticism. | |
| "I was in Belfast as a young soldier in 1969/70 that was then this is now - if you look into the background of other people on this commission they were doing different things that long ago. | |
| "I don't think Northern Ireland should be tied to its past I'm certainly not going to be - we're looking to the future here," he told the BBC's Newsline programme. | |
| North Belfast DUP assembly members Nigel Dodds and Nelson McCausland described the appointment of former IRA prisoner Sean Murray as it showing a lack of sensitivity and that it could undermine the review process. | |
| Sean Murray was also appointed to the review | |
| The remit of the review team is to make recommendations on how parading can be taken forward in a way "consistent with the shared future objectives of respect, tolerance, responsible citizenship and promoting equality of opportunity and human rights". | The remit of the review team is to make recommendations on how parading can be taken forward in a way "consistent with the shared future objectives of respect, tolerance, responsible citizenship and promoting equality of opportunity and human rights". |
| Lord Ashdown said: "I know the work will be challenging and there are no simple answers to what are fundamentally very difficult problems, but I am looking forward to the challenge and to the debate and to contributing to what must be, if it is to succeed, a locally-grown solution to this issue." | Lord Ashdown said: "I know the work will be challenging and there are no simple answers to what are fundamentally very difficult problems, but I am looking forward to the challenge and to the debate and to contributing to what must be, if it is to succeed, a locally-grown solution to this issue." |
| Lord Ashdown was born in New Delhi, but grew up in Donaghadee and Comber. | Lord Ashdown was born in New Delhi, but grew up in Donaghadee and Comber. |
| He returned to the province as a Royal Marines officer when the Troubles started in the early 1970s. | He returned to the province as a Royal Marines officer when the Troubles started in the early 1970s. |
| His political career peaked in 1988 when he was elected Liberal Democrat leader, a post he held until 1999. | His political career peaked in 1988 when he was elected Liberal Democrat leader, a post he held until 1999. |
| After standing down from the Commons in 2001 he was elevated to the House of Lords and appointed as the UN High Representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina, a post in which he served until 2005. | After standing down from the Commons in 2001 he was elevated to the House of Lords and appointed as the UN High Representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina, a post in which he served until 2005. |
| Lord Ashdown became a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) in the 2006 New Year Honours List in recognition of his work in the Balkans. | Lord Ashdown became a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) in the 2006 New Year Honours List in recognition of his work in the Balkans. |