ST JOHN’S, Antigua (AP) — With thousands of demonstrators marching through Antigua’s capital, the opposition on Thursday demanded that the prime minister resign and call early elections in the Caribbean country.

Opposition Leader Baldwin Spencer said Thursday that, if Prime Minister Lester Bird did not respond by Wednesday next week, his United Progressive Party would call for a nation-wide strike.

Spencer said if the opposition does not “get a clear indication from Lester Bird and his government, we will be locking down this country”.

Police said there were about 6,500 people at Thursday’s march, though Bird put the number at 3,500 and called the march “a dismal failure”, according to comments broadcast by ABS TV.

Spencer’s party called the protest after an inquiry board into Antigua and Barbuda’s medical insurance programme found evidence of corruption and misuse of funds.

Dressed in white T-shirts printed with the slogan “Time for dem to go”, demonstrators also called for the removal of two ruling Antigua Labour Party lawmakers implicated in the inquiry — former trade minister Hilroy Humphreys and former Health Minister Bernard Percival.

After more than a year of investigations, the inquiry commission into the Medical Benefits Scheme last month recommended criminal charges be brought against 11 civil servants, including Humphreys and Percival. Humphreys resigned from the Cabinet in April, and Bird fired Percival in May. Both have denied wrongdoings.

The inquiry started after a government audit showed evidence of embezzlement from the programme through false claims and questionable accounting practices.

Spencer said the large turnout Thursday was an “emphatic vote of no-confidence in Lester Bird”, who has been prime minister since 1994.

Spencer also called for Bird to immediately introduce anti-corruption legislation, and to begin an audit of all government bodies.

A petition calling for the government’s resignation was being circulated and would be sent to the Caribbean Community, based in Guyana.

Spencer called for elections by March, though constitutionally elections are due in 2004.

A handful of government supporters also attended Thursday’s protest and wore red T-shirts that said “Beat us at the polls” and “Let the people decide”.