UN announces candidates for Libya transitional government

Participants in the UN-sponsored Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, which kicked off in November, will meet in Switzerland from Monday through Friday "for the voting process for the new temporary unified executive", the UN mission, UNSMIL, said in a statement on Saturday.

The 21 candidates for the position of prime minister and 24 for the three-member presidency council include political heavyweights from the country's rival east and west, but also from the south.

Oil-rich Libya has been torn apart by civil war since a NATO-backed uprising that ousted long-time dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.

The country is dominated by the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA), and its rival, the eastern-based House of Representatives, which never recognised the unity government.

Among the names for the premiership are Fathi Bashagha, the powerful GNA interior minister, and current Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Maiteeq, both from the coastal city of Misrata.

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Nominations for the presidency council include GNA Defence Minister Salahuddin al-Namroush, and head of the Tripoli-based High Council of State Khalid al-Mishri.

Council candidates from the east include key powerbroker Aguila Saleh, current speaker of the Tobruk-based parliament, and Mohammed al-Bargathi, Libya's ambassador to Jordan.

Just three women are on the lists.

The selection of a temporary executive authority comes ahead of national elections planned for December 24.