MICHELLE Gildernew has said she is determined to hold on to her Westminster seat amid new claims of an election pact between rival unionists.
It is claimed the DUP is ready to stand aside at the upcoming General Election, allowing the Ulster Unionists' candidate a free run.
Reports have claimed a deal could come in return for UUP support for the DUP over any package on policing and just
ice powers.
However Ms Gildernew, the MP for Fermanagh/South Tyrone since 2001, is ignoring the speculation and is focusing on securing a third election win.
"Our position is quite simple," she said. "Whatever the DUP or UUP choose to do, Sinn Fein will be fighting this election strenuously to keep the seat.
"What the other parties decide to do will not affect our strategy."
Ms Gildernew won the seat, previously held by Ken Maginnis, in 2001 with a 53-vote majority.She held the seat in 2005, this time with an increased 4,582 majority, after the unionist vote was split between Tom Elliott and Arlene Foster.
The DUP has been calling for a pact with the Ulster Unionists with a view to fielding one unionist candidate in Fermanagh/South Tyrone, and in South Belfast where Alasdair McDonnell could also be unseated.
An offer from the DUP to stand aside in one seat in return for the Ulster Unionists withdrawing in the other has already been rejected.
However, the crisis over policing and justice has been gathering momentum in recent days, with DUP politicians reportedly giving serious consideration to standing aside in favour of Ulster Unionists.
Sacrificing Parliamentary seats is not thought to be a high price to pay if it leads to further deals for an Assembly campaign.
The TUV’s significant share of the unionist vote means a three-way split throws up the very real possibility that Sinn Fein could become the largest party at Stormont with Martin McGuinness as First Minister.
And that is a situation that “no unionist is ready to accept” according to a senior unionist source.
He said: “We have to be looking at closer co-operation between unionist parties, particularly in Fermanagh/South Tyrone”.
A single unionist candidate would almost certainly unseat Ms Gildernew.
Based on figures from the 2005 election, the combined vote of Mrs Foster and Mr Elliott would put an agreed unionist candidate more than 4,000 votes ahead of Sinn Fein.
Fermanagh/South Tyrone DUP Assembly member Lord Morrow said his party was determined to advance the cause of unionist co-operation.
"The unionist community in Fermanagh/South Tyrone have a very clear desire to see the current abstentionist MP unseated," he said.
"The lessons learnt in the past show that unless there is agreement between the unionist parties that will not happen and any party attempting to impose their will upon the electorate will not succeed."
A spokesperson for the UUP said the party would not be making any comment.
