Threats precede parades vote

The letter warned the politicians to vote against parades

Threatening letters containing pellet bullets have been sent to two nationalist politicians before a Belfast lower Ormeau residents vote on contentious parades.

The Lower Ormeau Concerned Community Residents group (LOCC), which opposes parades by the Protestant Orange Order and Apprentice Boys through the area, has organised a secret ballot for Thursday.

A local parish priest is to oversee voting by everyone aged 16 and over from the area at the Shaftsbury recreation centre, on whether or not loyalist parades should be allowed through the area.

Social Democratic and Labour Party assemblyman Alasdair McDonnell and city councillor Rosaleen Hughes said they were bemused about the source of the letters and called on everyone from the area to take part in the vote.

Rosaleen Hughes: "I have been encouraging people to vote"

The letters claiming to have been sent by the LOCC said: "If you cannot support our ballot on Thursday then keep your mouth shut, LOCC."

But Mr McDonnell said he believed them to be the work of a crank.

"The point about it was, that I was supporting and encouraging people to get involved. I think it's all a bit silly and a bit stupid, but nevertheless fairly frightening," he said.

Councillor Rosaleen Hughes said she had no idea who sent the letter, and that she had been encouraging people to vote on Thursday.

"It is a very frightening situation to be in, to have received something like that.

'Everyone should say what they want'

"As regards the ballot I do hope people will come out and show a positive sign about what they really want, whether they want parades to go up the road or down the road.

"Because for the rest of our lives we are going to be fighting about parades if we don't do something solid now," she said.

Spokesman for the LOCC, Gerard Rice, said the letter did not come from his group.

"Rosaleen and ourselves are both agreed that this note did not come from anybody within the community. It did not come from the LOCC," he said.

"It had one purpose and one purpose only - to undermine the process that we are going to engage in - an opinion poll tomorrow.

"This was designed because people are worried that the decision might be 90% in favour of moving parades away from the Ormeau Road."

Gerard Rice has urged everyone to take part in the vote

Lower Ormeau residents will be able to vote on the parades issue from 1600 BST to 2000 BST on Thursday.

They will be asked a number of questions in the poll to be overseen by St Malachy's parish with the assistance of the church's Down and Connor Commission on Social Affairs.

The LOCC has said the purpose of the poll is to ensure that every person aged 16 plus from the area "will have an opportunity to freely express their opinion on the issue".

On Wednesday afternoon the group called on everyone to take part in the vote.

In a statement it said: "We have found an almost unbelievable unwillingness on the part of the loyal orders to accept that our community is opposed to parades through the area.

"Tomorrow's vote gives residents the the opportunity to clearly and freely express their views on the marches in a way which will oblige everyone to take notice."

A similar poll was last conducted in the Lower Ormeau in 1995 by management consultants Coopers and Lybrand, when a large majority voted against allowing loyalist marches in the area.

The Northern Ireland Parades Commission has barred the Orange Order from marching through the lower Ormeau area during its Twelfth of July demonstrations for two years, following opposition from residents.

In response the Order moved its main Twelfth rally site to the nearby Ormeau Park to support the Ballynafeigh Orange Lodge, which was not been allowed to march into lower Ormeau.

There were disturbances during an Apprentice Boys parade on the lower Ormeau Road in August last year, after the police removed protesters from the road.