U.N. sets dates for Libyan transitional government selection

TUNIS (Reuters) - The United Nations Libya mission said on Thursday that nominations for leadership of a new unified transitional government must be made within a week and voting on candidates would take place in early February.

Libya has been divided since 2014 between rival administrations in the capital Tripoli, in the west, and in the country's east.

Manoeuvring over the new government has raised fears that powerful figures who stand to lose influence could attempt to sabotage the process.

The UN in November gathered 75 Libyan participants in a political dialogue in Tunis aimed at setting a roadmap to national elections that they set for late December.

After weeks of wrangling, the dialogue members this week agreed on rules for selecting a new three-member presidential council and a prime minister to oversee the run-up to the election.

The UN said on Thursday that dialogue members would vote on candidates for the new government's leadership positions in Switzerland from Feb. 1-5.

(Reporting by Angus McDowall; Editing by Marguerita Choy)