Rival Libyan premier says he plans to be in Tripoli in days

One of Libya’s rival prime ministers says he plans to be in the country's capital and seat his government there in a matter of days — even though a parallel administration opposing his is currently located in Tripoli

TOBRUK, Libya -- A rival Libyan prime minister says he plans to be in the country’s capital and seat his government there in a matter of days — even though a parallel administration opposing his is currently located in Tripoli.

Fathi Bashagha expressed his belief that the war-torn country could be unified without more fighting and that his government will focus on holding elections soon, the only way out of Libya’s decade-old conflict.

However, his statement is likely to add to fears that Libya's two rival administrations are heading into a deeper confrontation and that the divisions signal a return to civil strife after more than a year of relative calm. On Thursday, the United Nations and the United States urged restraint and expressed concern over reports of armed groups deploying in and around Tripoli.

“The sole political solution in Libya is to hold presidential and parliamentary elections,” Bashagha said in an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday in the eastern city of Tobruk.