Labour health spokesman Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca said today that she was bowing to pressure from her supporters and the Labour Party and would contest the forthcoming general elections.

Ms Coleiro Prcea had announced her decision not to stand shortly after the referendum.

At the time she had also complained that she had been threatened during the referendum campaign - when she had opposed divorce.

In a statement issued through the Labour Party today, Ms Coleiro Preca said she could not ignore the pleas from hundreds of her supporters and the Labour Party to reconsider.

She also appreciated comments in her regard made by Labour leader Joseph Muscat, particularly his confirmation that her views had not contradicted the party.

She regretted, however, that not everyone had realised that the divorce issue was not a partisan matter. Had all political parties truly believed in allowing their MPs and supporters to vote according to their conscience, this issue would not have brought about divisions in certain sectors of Maltese society.

She regretted that the Nationalist Party had tried to use her for political gain in an attempt, she said, to hide its own failures, especially in not allowing supporters and MPs to vote according to their conscience.

While the PN followed an opportunistic policies and went where the wind blew, the PL declared what it needed to say, without fear, Ms Coleiro said.