The opposition members held a large gathering south of the capital Kuwait City on Wednesday.
“If this (the amendment) happens, we will boycott the election and launch street protests,” said Waleed al-Tabtabai, a former opposition lawmaker.
“We will not stop until we force abolishing the amended law and the elected parliament.”
On October 7, the Kuwaiti ruler ordered the dissolution of the country’s parliament to pave the way for snap elections for the second time this year. Kuwaitis are scheduled to go to polls within two months for the fifth time since mid-2006.
The opposition groups say the government plans to amend the electoral law, earlier confirmed by a court ruling, to reduce chances of the opposition to win in elections. They have also cautioned that any attempt by the government to affect the election results could lead to the country’s destabilization.
“We are not less than Arab peoples who have retaken their rights. We have repeatedly warned of Arab Spring (in Kuwait),” said Nayef al-Merdas, a member of the 2012 parliament which was dissolved by the country’s constitutional court on June 20.
Khaled al-Tahus, also a former opposition lawmaker, said Kuwait was “passing through the most difficult and crucial period of its history,” and he urged the ruler to “exercise his powers in accordance with the constitution.”
Kuwait’s parliament enjoys relatively great powers in comparison with the legislative bodies in other Persian Gulf Arab countries, and Kuwaiti lawmakers openly criticize the ruling al-Sabah family, which has the key offices in the country’s administrative and executive branches.
