Updated on
Summary Opposition groups will protest on Sunday against ruler's decision to amend electoral law.
The demonstration called Dignity of a Nation is be held in Kuwait City at the seaside Seif Palace which houses offices for the emir, crown prince and the government, organisers said on their Twitter account on Saturday.The protest call came a day after Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah ordered the government to amend the electoral constituency law ahead of elections. The opposition has described the move as an attempt to manipulate the results.On Saturday, the cabinet set December 1 as the election date and approved the emirs decision.The decision came despite a ruling by the emirates constitutional court last month that the electoral law was in line with the constitution, turning down an appeal by the government.The interior ministry issued a stern warning saying it will not allow any sit-ins, gatherings, processions, rallies ... in any place other than the square facing parliament.Any act of violence, riots, instigation of violence ... and undermining national security will be dealt with forcefully and firmly, it said.Kuwaiti media reported that the interior ministry has placed security agencies and the police on alert amid warnings of violence. Authorities allow rallies but ban processions.Almost all Islamist, nationalist and liberal opposition groups, around 50 former MPs and dozens of former election candidates, have announced they are boycotting the next election.Chiefs of bedouin tribes including the head of the largest tribe Awazem, Falah bin Jame, said they will call on their tribes to join a boycott. Tribes make up more than half of Kuwaits native population of 1.2 million.The emirs decision was, however, warmly welcomed by former pro-government MPs who said the decision will help stabilise the OPEC nation.Kuwaits ruler on Saturday set parliamentary elections for Dec. 1 in a bid to ease months of deepening political turmoil that has pit the pro-Western ruling family against opposition forces led by Islamists.The elections which will be the second this year in the oil-rich Gulf nation will be held under voting district demarcations that appeared to favor the Islamists and allies in the last balloting in February.Another opposition victory would bring further pressure on Kuwaits ruling family to loosen its control over key government positions and impose more conservative rules such as banning cultural events considered offensive to Islamic values. It also could bring more questions over Kuwaits tight alliance with the United States.
