Kuwait's emir digs in against opposition

The hardline stance underscored the potential for Kuwait's tensions to escalate into more serious clashes and further polarize the oil-rich Gulf state between backers of the ruling establishment and groups claiming it overstepped its powers.

So far unrest has been limited during near-daily protests since Dec. 1 parliamentary elections, which were boycotted by a broad-based opposition — Islamists, tribal clans and liberals — over objections to changes in voting rules.

But protest leaders pledge to strengthen their push for the dissolution of the new parliament and call new elections under the former rules, which allowed voters to cast multiple ballots and appeared to favor the opposition.

The election boycott capped months of political showdowns that included street clashes and tear gas — the first serious unrest in a country that had previously avoided any upheaval during the Arab Spring.

Any threats to Kuwait's stability are closely watched by Washington, which has about 13,500 troops stationed there as part of the Pentagon's counterweight to Iran's expanding military in the Gulf. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta visited U.S. soldiers in Kuwait last week.

In a speech to inaugurate the new parliament — almost completely pro-government after the opposition boycott — Kuwait's emir sharply criticized opposition groups for their aggressive election boycott campaign in which they labeled voters as traitors.

"Saying that fellow citizens have committed treason only because they have a different opinion is not acceptable," said the emir, Sheik Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah. "We will not tolerate attempts from anyone to tear apart the unity of the nation."

He then appealed to the lawmakers to try to move behind the disputes.

"This is a new page and I urge you, new parliamentarians, to steer away from disputes and focus on helping push the country forward," he said.

Kuwait has the most politically powerful parliament among the Gulf Arab states, giving lawmakers the ability to openly criticize the ruling family and call government officials for questioning. It's a tool that was used often by opposition groups, which had control of parliament after elections in February.

The emir, however, later disbanded the parliament in a challenge over voting districts. The decision set up months of political battles that effectively paralyzed Kuwait's domestic economy.

On Saturday, more than 1,000 protesters held an overnight occupation of streets in a Kuwait City commercial district. One of the main protest leaders, Mussallam al-Barrack, urged supporters not back down until the emir disbands the "parliament of puppets" and sets new elections.