KATHMANDU: The Cabinet meeting held on Friday under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Balendra Shah decided to remove 15 honorary consuls and honorary consul generals serving in foreign countries.

Briefing reporters after the meeting at Singha Durbar, government spokesperson and Minister for Education Sasmit Pokharel said the decision was taken based on a proposal from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Cabinet also decided to request President Ram Chandra Paudel to address a joint session of both houses of the Federal Parliament on May 11 at 4 pm.

Speaking to the media, Pokharel also defended the government’s recommendation for the next Chief Justice, claiming it was “the best recommendation in history in terms of competence.”

He said there had long been discussions about the need for judicial reform in Nepal, but previous governments had failed to take meaningful initiatives.