Rabi Lamichhane, the Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of Nepal, has been dismissed by the Supreme Court on Friday, January 27, 2023. [1] The ruling came after it was revealed that the citizenship certificate he presented to contest the parliamentary election was invalid. As the court invalidated his citizenship, he can no longer be considered a Nepali citizen and is, therefore, no longer eligible to serve as a minister or party chief. [2] This decision has come as a shock to the new government in Kathmandu and is expected to strengthen the position of former Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, who is the other leader of the ruling coalition. [3] The issue of citizenship is a sensitive matter in contemporary Nepal, and the verdict on Mr. Lamichhane is seen as a major political setback for the month old government of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda.
