(Adds comment by George Abela)

A media ban imposed on those who had indicated their intention to contest the MLP leadership election has been lifted, one of the candidates, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, said this morning. George Abela, who still has to officially declare his leadership bid, said when contacted he had no knowledge that the ban had been lifted.

Ms Coleiro-Preca officially declared herself a candidate for the election to succeed Alfred Sant during a press conference and explained that after having phoned the chairman of the MLP electoral commission last night, she was told that the media ban had been lifted.

At her press conference Ms Coleiro-Preca insisted that the MLP needed to reinforce its social-democratic credentials. One of the problems at the last election, she said, was that the people had not seen enough of a difference between the MLP and the PN.

She said that a feature of her years in politics was that she had always been close to the people, and that was what she would like the MLP to be under her leadership.

When she was questioned on the media ban, Ms Coleiro Preca said she had disagreed with in, not only because candidates could not be expected to personally talk to each of the 900 MLP delegates, but also because the people at large had every interest to know more about the leadership contenders.

She said the MLP needed to improve the way it projected itself, including making better use of technology.

Ms Coleiro-Preca has become the fourth person to officially declare a leadership bid.

The other declared candidates are Joseph Muscat, Michael Falzon and Evarist Bartolo.

Ms Coleiro-Preca has been an MP since 1998 and was the party spokesman on social affairs in the last legislature.

She has a long history of political activity and was general secretary of the Labour Party for nine years from 1982.


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