TRIPOLI, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Libya's eastern-based House of Representatives speaker, Aguila Saleh, called on Saturday for the swift creation of a unified government, warning that the prolonged political crisis could further destabilize the country unless immediate action is taken.

In a video message released by the House of Representatives' media office, Saleh, whose chamber supports the eastern Government of National Stability based in Benghazi, stressed the importance of adhering to a political roadmap established last year.

"We no longer have multiple options or solutions. We must act promptly to establish a new authority in line with the political agreement reached through consensus," Saleh stated, referring to a stalled deal between his body and the Tripoli-based High Council of State, a consultative body aligned with the western Libyan administration.

Saleh also criticized recent decrees issued by the Tripoli-based Presidency Council, accusing the body of overstepping its mandate.

Earlier this week, the Presidency Council, a three-member leadership body headed by Mohamed Menfi, issued decrees suspending a law passed by Saleh's House of Representatives to create a constitutional court -- a move eastern lawmakers view as a consolidation of power.

Saleh denounced the decrees as an overreach of the Presidency Council's authority, accusing Menfi's panel of interfering in legislative affairs and undermining efforts to unify the nation.

Saleh's remarks highlight the growing rift between Libya's rival administrations, a division that has deepened since the 2011 ousting of former leader Muammar Gaddafi and the ensuing civil war.

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya expressed similar concerns on Wednesday, warning that "escalatory unilateral actions" by competing factions threaten to derail fragile diplomatic progress.

Oil-rich Libya has struggled to establish stable governance since NATO-backed forces ousted and killed long-time ruler Gaddafi.

The North African country remains divided between two administrations: the eastern government, backed by military commander Khalifa Haftar, and the UN-recognized Government of National Unity in Tripoli. ■