Kuwaitis seek change

KUWAIT CITY: A group of Kuwaitis imprisoned for taking part in the 2011 anti-government protests have announced the formation of a new political bloc.

Kuwait’s Democratic Party was launched this week by four Kuwaitis sentenced to prison in late November.

At the time, an appeals court had sentence 67 people to between one and nine years in prison.

Lama al-Fadala, sister of one of the group’s founding members, said a key demand was that Kuwait allow the formation of political parties.

In a statement circulating on social media, the Democratic Party said one of its objectives was to create a diverse bloc that represents Kuwaitis of different backgrounds who believe in reform and justice.