Rabi Lamichhane, whose election to the House of Representatives was invalidated by the Supreme Court on Friday over citizenship issue, today got his Nepali citizenship restored after he submitted evidence of renouncement of his American citizenship.
Assistant Chief District Officer of Kathmandu District Administration Devi Pandey Khatri told THT that her office today issued a duplicate copy of Lamichhane's citizenship that he had obtained in 1994. "He got his old Nepali citizenship restored.
We have issued a citizenship certificate to him with the old details, including the number," she added.
The Supreme Court cancelled former deputy prime minister and home minister Lamichhane's election to the HoR because he did not get his Nepali citizenship restored when he contested the parliamentary elections held on November 20. Lamichhane had obtained Nepali citizenship on 22 February 1994, became a US citizen on 5 March 2014, and renounced his American passport on 28 June 2018.
In the parliamentary election, Lamichhane was elected from Chitwan's Constituency No 2 and his party, the Rastriya Swatantra Party, won 20 seats in the 275-member House of Representatives.
The RSP is a partner in the seven-party ruling alliance led by CPN-Maoist Centre Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
Meanwhile, a meeting of the RSP's central committee nominated Lamichhane as the chair of the party again.
He had stepped down as the party chair after his election was invalidated.
When asked whether the RSP would reclaim the home portfolio, RSP Spokesperson Mukul Dhakal said, "We should get the home portfolio automatically and we should not be asked to reclaim it." If the PM okays, Lamichhane could become the home minister again for six months as the constitution has a provision to make any Nepali citizen a minister for six months.
Dhakal said his party accepted the SC verdict, but was surprised that Lamichhane's case was decided by the court within three months, whereas other cases of far more importance remained pending for long.
"Our party wants that the SC decide other cases involving citizenship, murder, corruption, and rape within three months as well," he added.
CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli, who heads the seven-party alliance, met Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal today. Their private secretariats didn't give details of their discussion.
UML General Secretary Shankar Pokharel told THT that the SC verdict would not impact the seven-party alliance, as it was there to run the government for five years. Asked if the alliance would give home portfolio to Lamichhane again, Pokharel said it was for the RSP to decide who it wanted as the home minister.
CPN-MC leader Ram Narayan Bidari, who is also a senior advocate, said Lamichhane should not be given the home portfolio as police were investigating the accusation that Lamichhane held two passports - Nepali and American - at the same time.
He said it would be morally wrong to give the home portfolio to the RSP because an RSP home minister could adversely impact the investigation against Lamichhane, creating a case of conflict of interest.
