Chris Lyttle MLA said: “Alliance has no objection to the Assembly being recalled. We are always open to discussing parades, the wider implications for the rule of law and the impact this has on shared future initiatives.
“However in doing so, it is crucial that all elected representatives use this opportunity – and those in the coming days – to demonstrate leadership, aiming to ease tensions around this issue rather than inflame them. A Parades Commission ruling has been made and, as the only legal body able to make these decisions, that decision must be supported and upheld.
“But this cannot be done in half measures and little is achieved by politicians seeking to second guess individual determinations. In the absence of any agreement on an alternative decision or negotiation process around disputed parades, the integrity of the Parades Commission must be protected.
“While Alliance has no objection to a recall, it is hard to see what this one-sided motion will actually achieve. It could even be viewed as counter-productive, sitting very much at odds with the announcement yesterday that the well-respected former US diplomat Richard Haass will Chair the upcoming all-party working group, set up to reach long term solutions on how we deal with parades and other difficult issues.
“Alliance already champions the importance of maintaining shared space and respecting the rule of law and it is essential that these concepts are upheld and protected. Ahead of the Assembly meeting next Tuesday I would appeal for all community leaders and elected representatives to demonstrate calm and mature leadership.”