Nepal Deputy PM to step down after Top Court declares he is not a Nepali citizen

by Dithmini De Silva 28-01-2023 | 3:19 PM

Colombo (News 1st) - Nepal's new government was dealt a stunning blow on Friday (27th) when the Supreme Court determined that Deputy Prime Minister Rabi Lamichhane, 48, who also holds the power post of Minister of Home Affairs, is not a Nepali citizen.

Lamichhane announced that he will step down from all his posts and from Parliament, noting that he is now stateless and will apply for Nepali citizenship.

Lamichhane, a former TV personality in Nepal, was a U.S. citizen who claimed that he had renounced his American citizenship prior to taking office in PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal's new government a month ago.

However, the court determined that he had not completed the process for political office as he had not obtained Nepali citizenship. Nepal does not allow dual citizenship.