Kuwaitis protest on outskirts of capital after vote

Hundreds of young Kuwaitis chanting protest slogans gathered at a roundabout outside the Gulf Arab state's capital on Wednesday in the latest snap demonstration since a parliamentary election on Saturday.   

Police have broken up several marches outside Kuwait City since Saturday, part of protests triggered by changes to voting rules the opposition said were designed to skew elections in favour of pro-government candidates.   

The opposition, which includes Islamist and populist politicians, refused to stand in the election in protest at a decree issued by Kuwait's ruler which reduced the number of votes per citizens to one from four.   

The young men protesting on Wednesday, wearing surgical masks, balaclavas and scarves wrapped around their faces, marched along a main street in a district southwest of the capital and were followed by scores of cars honking their horns.   

The men let off fireworks and chanted "One, one, one, we don't want one vote!"   

Small groups of police gathered in the surrounding streets.   

Tens of thousands marched peacefully in the capital on Friday in what organizers said was the largest protest in Kuwaiti history, to urge people to shun the election.   

The authorized march, attended by men, women and children, was organized by youth groups and backed by opposition politicians on the eve of the election. They plan another march on Saturday.   

Rallies outside parliament have been held regularly and peacefully in the major oil producer for years, but police broke up three big marches in October and November with tear gas, saying organizers did not have a permit.


REUTERS