ST JOHN'S, Antigua (CMC):

The main opposition Antigua Labour Party (ALP) is calling on Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer not to sign the controversial Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Europe.

The agreement was scheduled for signing today, but indecision among several regional leaders has led to uncertainty about whether it will take place.

In a statement issued here, the ALP said it was urging the Spencer administration "not to sign the Economic Partnership Agreement in its present form".

ALP leader and former Prime Minister Lester Bird said that the agreement should be made available to all stakeholders, "so that appropriate proposals can be made for renegotiating the clauses that would hurt our local businesses, local employment and economy".

"We have had to rely on public information to piece together an understanding of the document and its implications. To our knowledge, no other political party, private sector group or trade union organisation, has been provided with the details of the EPA."