Libya’s unity government nominated

MEMBERS of Libya’s proposed national unity government have been named under a United Nations (UN)-brokered deal aimed at uniting the country’s warring factions.

The 32 names will be sent to the internationally recognised parliament in the eastern city of Tobruk for approval.

But only seven members of the Tunis-based Presidency Council have signed the document.

Libya has been in chaos since the 2011 overthrow of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

The country has two rival parliaments, and the UN is urging them both to endorse the proposed unity government.

Both parliaments are backed by different armed groups and there is still substantial opposition towards the new administration.

The Presidency Council was agreed in December following UN-backed talks. It is made up of the prime minister, his five deputies and three ministers of state.

A source close to Deputy Prime Minister, Ali Algetrani, told the BBC that the proposed cabinet was “illegitimate” because it had not been unanimously agreed by the council.

Members of the council are still based in Tunisia because of the instability in Libya.

Western nations hope the formation of the new government will help bring stability and tackle the growing threat of the so-called Islamic State group (IS).

IS militants have taken advantage of the political vacuum to expand their presence in the country.

The political divisions are piling up under sustained pressure from the international community to get a unity government in place.