Delegates from Libya's warring factions signed a U.N.-brokered agreement to form a national government Thursday, a deal western powers hope will bring stability and help fight a growing ISIL presence, dpa reported. Libya is deeply fractured with two rival governments, a self-declared one in Tripoli and an internationally recognized one in the east, each backed by coalitions of former rebels and militias. The U.N. accord calls for a presidential council to lead a unified government, but hardliners in both factions reject it and questions remain about how it will be implemented. Representatives from both parliaments signed the deal along with local councils and political parties in the Moroccan coastal town of Skhirat, after more than a year of negotiations. "The doors remain wide open to those who are not here today," U.N. envoy Martin Kobler said at the ceremony attended by regional foreign ministers. "The signing of the political agreement is only the first step." Under the deal, a nine-member presidential council will form a government with the current, east-based House of Representatives as the main legislature and a State Council as a second consultative chamber. The presidential council will name a new government in a month and a U.N. Security Council resolution will endorse it.
