[JURIST] The internationally-recognized Libyan parliament voted Monday to reject a proposal by the UN-supported unity government to curb the country’s political crisis. In an 89-15 vote, the parliament rejected [Reuters report] the cabinet selected by the UN-backed Presidential Council (PC) and said the council would be dissolved if it failed to form a new, smaller cabinet in 10 days. Libya’s government is currently fractured—the internationally-recognized authorities and parliament in Tobruk and the rebel-backed authority holding power in Tripoli. The unity government was created [JURIST report] by the Libyan Political Agreement in July and intends to bridge the splintered government. The nine-member PC has the authority to choose the cabinet of the new unity government. Many members of the competing political authorities denounced [Al Jazeera report] the agreement as not fairly representative of all Libyan factions.

Libya has remained politically unstable since the 2011 deposition of Muammar Gaddafi [JURIST backgrounder] and subsequent civil war. Much of the escalating violence in Libya is attributable to the Islamic State [BBC Backgrounder]. In March the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSML) [official website] released a report outlining a peace proposal [JURIST report] intending to end the country’s political instability and “deteriorating military situation.” Also in March the head of the UNSMIL warned the UN Security Council that without intervention from the international community and UN, Libya is likely to become unstable [JURIST report] in the wake of repeated terrorist attacks.