Kuwaitis march against parliament elected under new rules

PanARMENIAN.Net - Tens of thousands of Kuwaitis marched in the capital on Saturday in peaceful protest against a parliament elected last week in the Gulf Arab state under voting rules deemed unfair by the opposition, Reuters reported.

Rule changes passed by decree in October, which reduced the number of votes per citizen to one from four, have prompted a spate of demonstrations and led the opposition to boycott the December 1 election.

The government, in which members of the ruling family hold top posts, says the new rules bring Kuwait in line with democratic norms elsewhere. The opposition, which includes Islamist and populist politicians, says they were designed to skew elections in favor of pro-government candidates.

Crowds of men, women and children wearing orange, the color of the protest movement, marched along a coast road on the edge of the capital, heading for Kuwait Towers, a major landmark by the Gulf.

Holding Kuwaiti and orange flags, they chanted: "The people want to bring down the decree!" They sang and clapped, giving the march a festive feel as a police helicopter circled above.

The protesters say they want wider political reforms but not an Arab Spring-style revolution.