Kathmandu, December 12
The Constitutional Council meeting could not recommend the name of new Chief Justice on Wednesday as well after Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba did not show up.
Deuba is a member of the Council in his capacity of the main opposition leader in the Federal Parliament. However, he has been repeatedly missing the meetings citing the party’s upcoming mahasamiti meeting.
Sources close to the ruling Nepal Communist Party, however, have been claiming that Deuba is delaying the process as the main opposition party is eyeing vacant positions of commissioners at the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority.
They say Deuba wants to make a deal with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli before picking the CJ.
It has already been more than two weeks since the Judicial Council forwarded the names of Deepak Raj Joshee and Cholendra Shamsher JB Rana for consideration of the Constitutional Council.
The Council had held a meeting on Tuesday as well. The members had told the press after the meeting yesterday that the next meeting would be held on December 20 as Deuba would be busy in the mahasamiti.
However, Prime Minister Oli, who chairs the Council, changed his mind by the evening and called the members to his residence at 9 am today, according to sources.
Deuba’s personal assistant Bhanu Deuba says the main opposition leader could not show up this morning as he was informed of the meeting last night only.
“We received the call at night only for the 9 am meeting,” he informs, “But, he could not make it as he had to be at the party meeting to prepare for the mahasamiti.”
After the meeting could not make any decision today, the next meeting has been called for 9 am on Thursday, according to National Assembly Chairman Ganesh Prasad Timilsina, another member of the Council.
