Mr David Trimble's Ulster Unionist Party is today facing allegations that it produced bogus electoral registration forms in Northern Ireland.
Sinn Féin president Mr Gerry Adams said, after a meeting with the North's Chief Electoral Officer Mr Denis Stanley, that he had received confirmation the UUP was suspected of printing its own forms.
It is understood that the bogus forms were discovered because they did not contain a barcode which were on the official forms. Mr Stanley is to raise the issue with the Ulster Unionists in a letter.
Mr Adams said: "The Electoral Office confirmed for us that the Ulster Unionist Party had printed their own registration forms - bogus forms - and indeed applications had been made for votes in these forms.
"We were alerted to this at a meeting last week by the Electoral Commission".
Mr Trimble, at Stormont for the unveiling of a portrait of the North's 108 Assembly members, would not be drawn on the claims. I am not familiar with this," the Upper Bann MP told journalists. "I am not in a position to comment".
PA