Libya's presidential council to present new cabinet

Tripoli (AFP) - Libya's presidential council will present a new government line-up in an attempt to secure the backing of the country's parliament, it said Wednesday.

The parliament, which rejected a previous unity government in a confidence vote on Monday, gave the council a "final chance" and 10 days to propose a new cabinet.

In a statement published on Wednesday on the website of the Government of National Accord (GNA), the council called on Libya's parliament, based in the eastern city of Tobruk, to endorse the new cabinet.

The council said it would work with political actors, civil society and the parliament to select a broad base of members for the new cabinet.

The nine-member council, headed by prime minister-designate Fayez al-Sarraj, was formed under a UN-backed accord between Libya's rival governments.

UN envoy Martin Kobler tweeted on Wednesday that he "fully supports" the council's statement and its decision to work with the parliament, saying it was "urgent" to implement the accord.

Libya's parliament, which was forced to flee to Tobruk after a coalition of militias seized Tripoli two years ago, is recognised by the international community.

However instead of supporting the internationally backed GNA, the parliament backs a rival executive in Baida, also in the east.

Under the deal signed in December, the GNA needs to pass a confidence vote in parliament in order to take office.

The parliament on Monday passed a vote of no confidence in Sarraj's government, in a blow to efforts to end the country's political chaos.

It later gave the council a "last chance" to propose a new cabinet.

The GNA is struggling to assert its authority in Libya, which has been riven by turmoil since the 2011 overthrow of dictator Moamer Kadhafi.

National support for the GNA is seen as crucial to restoring stability and to tackling the Libyan branch of the Islamic State group, which pro-GNA forces are battling in the jihadists' coastal stronghold of Sirte.

The council said its ministers would stay in office "to guarantee continuity in the institutions of the state" until parliament could vote on a new government.