KATHMANDU, Dec 4: A meeting of the Constitutional Council (CC) on Monday morning failed to pick new chief justice and heads of other constitutional bodies. Now the meeting has been rescheduled for Saturday.
“Due to his busy schedule, the main opposition leader Sher Bahadur Deuba could not give sufficient time to the meeting so no decision could be reached. We are hopeful that we will be able to pick a chief justice candidate and heads for other constitutional bodies at the next meeting,” Ganesh Prasad Timalsina, chairman of the National Assembly, told reporters after the meeting. The council is headed by the prime minister and its members include the main opposition leader, speaker of the lower house, chairman of the upper house, deputy speaker of the lower house and law minister as members.The positions of heads and members of various constitutional bodies including Madheshi, Tharu and Inclusive commissions remain vacant for a long time although the acts related to govern the commissions have already been formulated.
Sitting chief justice Mishra is retiring on December 31 on the grounds of age.
Earlier, the Judicial Council secretariat had recommended seniormost justice Deepak Raj Joshee and justice Cholendra SJB Rana for appointment as chief justice.
Sources claimed that Rana's chances are high because Joshee was already rejected as chief justice by the parliamentary hearings committee on August 3.