Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has postponed the meeting of the Constitutional Council scheduled for Saturday by three days. 

The meeting was supposed to recommend the new chief justice candidate. 

“The meeting of the Constitutional Council will convene on Tuesday,” Dilli Malla, press coordinator for Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara, said on Friday.

The Judicial Council has nominated Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana and Justice Deepak Raj Joshee for the top job at the Supreme Court. According to the constitution, the CC, led by the prime minister, is supposed to pick the chief justice candidate one month ahead of the incumbent’s retirement.

The tenure of current Supreme Court Chief Justice Om Prakash Mishra expires on January 1. The CC should have named the new chief justice candidate by December 2.

The CC meeting held at Singha Durbar on Monday could not pick the chief justice candidate as the members needed more time to vet the nominees, Justice Rana and Justice Joshee.

While the observers say that the chance of Justice Joshee being appointed the head of apex court is slim, given that his nomination was previously turned down by the Parliamentary Hearing Committee, leaders say it is difficult to speculate now.

Besides naming the new chief justice candidate, the CC is also due to finalise the leadership of Muslim Commission, Tharu Commission, Madhesi Commission, Indigenous Nationalities Commission, National Inclusive Commission, National Dalit Commission, and National Women Commission.

The government has already deputed six joint secretaries from the Ministry of Federal Affairs to arrange necessary infrastructures for these commissions.