KUWAIT CITY, Dec 16: Security forces blocked hundreds of protesters from staging a rally outside the parliament building on Sunday, as Kuwait’s amir denounced anti-government factions as committing “treason” and vowed to stand firm amid the country's deepening political crisis.

The hardline stance underscored the potential for Kuwait's tensions to escalate into more serious clashes and further polarise 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 favour 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. Defence Secretary Leon Panetta visited US soldiers in Kuwait last week.

In a speech to inaugurate the new parliament — almost completely pro-government after the opposition boycott — Kuwait's amir accused the protesters of “treason” and said he would not tolerate ‘attempts from anyone to tear apart social unity’.

“This is a new page and I urge you, new parliamentarians, to steer away from disputes and focus on helping push the country forward,” said the amir, Sheik Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah.

Kuwait has the most politically powerful parliament among the Gulf Arab states, giving lawmakers the ability to openly criticise 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 amir, however, later disbanded the parliament in a challenge over voting districts. The decision set up months of political battles that effectively paralysed 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 amir disbands the “parliament of puppets” and sets new elections.

Kuwait’s former voting system allowed up to four votes per person, which was seen as giving an edge to opposition coalitions. They also claim the new rule of one-vote-per-person — imposed by the amir in a decree last month — opens the door for possible vote buying and strong-arm tactics by the ruling system.

The opposition insists that only parliament can change voting rules and the amir went beyond his powers.

“It is the responsibility of the government now to de-escalate the situation,” said Shafiq Ghabra, a political science professor at Kuwait University. “The government has the power and authority, and if it continues to use power to quell the protests and demonstrations, they are only adding wood to the fire.''

At the same time, the opposition groups appear to be moving in different directions without any clear agenda.

Some youth gangs have tried to challenge security forces with roadblocks of burning tires. Others mill about in parks and malls brandishing scarves in orange, the colour adopted by the opposition. Elsewhere, anti-government leaders gather in traditional carpeted meeting halls to plot strategy.—AP