As nominations for the North's Assembly elections close today the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) moved to try to assure unionists that no amnesty is planned for IRA fugitives, the so-called on the runs or OTRs.
DUP leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, after handing in his nomination papers at the Belfast electoral office - coincidentally at the same time as Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams handed in his papers - warned that any move on the OTRs would wreck any chance of a deal to restore devolution.
Sinn Féin leaders have claimed that British prime minister Tony Blair in the Christmas negotiations provided assurances that he would settle the issue of on the runs before he left office.
"I have been in contact with Downing Street to reinforce our view that any proposal to let on the runs go free without facing justice is obnoxious to the law-abiding citizens in Northern Ireland," Dr Paisley said.
"There can be no deal on this issue by the back door, or any side deal which allows these fugitives off the hook. No-one should be unaware of the dire consequences for the political process in Northern Ireland if the government are foolish enough to proceed," he added.
"If there is sufficient evidence to convict someone of a crime then they should stand trial for it. There is no way that the dropping of a viable case can ever be in the interests of the people of Northern Ireland," said Dr Paisley.
An NIO spokesman moved quickly to try to prevent OTRs becoming an election issue. He said Northern Secretary Peter Hain had "already stated publicly and to parliament that, while the government recognises that OTRs are in an anomalous position, there is no intention to reintroduce legislation or to introduce an amnesty".
He added: "Furthermore, reports that the attorney general and the Public Prosecution Service are to be asked to drop cases against OTRs, in the public interest, are entirely incorrect."
He said OTR cases were considered by the prosecution services according to the tests for prosecution. Each case was considered individually on the basis of its particular facts and there were no exceptions, he said.
