BENGHAZI, Libya — Lawmakers from Libya's rival parliaments have reached a power-sharing agreement in Tunisia, shunning a UN-brokered deal to avoid the "foreign intervention" tainting it, an internationally recognized government representative said Sunday.
However, it appeared the deal had failed to gain broad acceptance by either side, with representatives from both parliaments coming out to slam the newly minted agreement.
Libya slid into chaos after the 2011 killing of dictator Moammar Gadhafi. The oil-rich country has been torn between an internationally recognized government in the far east and Islamist-backed government in the capital, Tripoli.
The United Nations' unity government deal, which is aimed at ending the conflict, was drafted by its former envoy to Libya, Bernardino Leon, who accepted a job last month from the United Arab Emirates. The country backs some members of the internationally recognized government, casting doubts on the international body's neutrality.
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If successful, Sunday's deal would see the formation of two 10-member committees, with both camps enjoying equal representation. One committee will form the unity government in the next two weeks and the other will draft a constitution and prepare for parliamentary elections within two years.