Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has called a meeting of the Constitutional Council for Friday.

The Prime Minister’s Chief Political Adviser Haribol Gajurel informed that Dahal called the Council meeting as per the understanding reached among the top leaders’ meeting held at CPN-UML chair KP Sharma Oli’s residence on Monday.

The chief justice position has been lying vacant since the retirement of Cholendra Shumsher Rana on December 13 last year. Likewise, the court is yet to get replacements for former acting Chief Justice Deepak Kumar Kari and justices Meera Khadka, Tej Kumar KC and Bom Kumar Shrestha—all of whom retired last year.

A chief justice is recommended by the Constitutional Council and endorsed by the parliamentary hearing committee before appointment by the President. The House of Representatives has yet to form all the panels including the hearing committee.

The meeting on Friday could likely make a recommendation for the appointment of the Chief Justice.

The Constitutional Council, which is headed by the Prime Minister, includes the Chief Justice, the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the lower House, the chair of the National Assembly and the leader of the main opposition party as members.

However, while making a recommendation for the appointment of the Chief Justice, the Council includes the Minister for Law and Justice as its member.

On Monday morning, top leaders of the three major political parties agreed to recommend a name for chief justice through a meeting of the Constitutional Council. PM Dahal along with Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN-UML Chairman KP Oli and Speaker Dev Raj Ghimire, among other leaders, attended the meeting.