Manama: Three opposition MPs on Monday filed a motion to question Kuwait's prime minister in parliament over a police crackdown on a public rally and alleged restrictions on freedoms.
The lawmakers, Mussallam Al Barrak, Jamaan Al Harbash and Saleh Al Mulla, represent the three main opposition groups in the Kuwaiti parliament and are backed by at least 17 other MPs.
The elite special forces on Wednesday used batons to beat up MPs and citizens at a public rally, wounding at least four lawmakers and a dozen citizens.
Illegal rallies
The opposition has held Prime Minister Shaikh Nasser Mohammad Al Ahmad Al Sabah, a senior member of the Al Sabah ruling family, responsible for the crackdown.
Meanwhile, Kuwait's Cabinet said that it regretted recent "illegal" rallies and commended the security forces for maintaining law and order.
In its first meeting following the clashes between anti-riot police and crowds at a forum to discuss the issue of constitutional amendments, the government said it supported the move by the Emir Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah to ensure order, security and stability in Kuwait and his determination to confront attempts to cause chaos and undermine national security.
The ministers also said that they fully backed the Emir's call to the media to help calm the situation in Kuwait, Kuwait News Agency (Kuna) reported on Monday.
The official news agency reported that Shaikh Sabah told the editors-in-chief of the local newspaper that people should resort to the parliament or courts and use only constitutional and legal channels to solve differences.
Several people were injured when the police clashed with people keen on attending the forum organised by opposition lawmakers amid news about a possible amendment of the constitution.
The rally degenerated into a scuffle after a standoff between the police and some of the people present at the forum became violent.
Pushed to take action
The police said that they were pushed to take action after participants challenged them and became abusive.
However, some people said that the police had used batons to attack the crowd and disperse them.
