The Ulster Unionist who lost out to Sinn Féin in the Fermanagh and South Tyrone seat at the last Northern election announced today he was to take legal action in an attempt to overturn the result.
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Mr James Cooper, who was beaten by Sinn Féin's Ms Michelle Gildernew by 53 votes, alleged ballots were cast for his opponent after the polls should have closed.
He said he was filing an electoral petition with the courts to challenge the result.
Mr Cooper, who was trying to retain the seat following the retirement of sitting Ulster Unionist MP Mr Ken Maginnis, was alleging the polling station in the village of Garrison in Co Fermanagh stayed open beyond the 10 p.m. closing time.
He said: "I am clearly not going to let this seat go if it transpires that Gildernew won it on the basis of illegal votes."
Mr Cooper, a solicitor in Enniskillen in Co Fermanagh, added he had "a duty to society and to unionism in Northern Ireland to make sure the electoral process retains some credibility."
"That has been damaged significantly at the moment and we as a party are determined that there should be a real effort made to make sure rules are applied and abided by all political parties."
Sinn Féin has dismissed Mr Cooper's challenge as irrelevant and predicted if there is a by-election it will win again with an increased majority.
PA