The police has intensified the investigation into the citizenship dispute of Ravi Lamichhane, chairman of Rashtriya Swatantra Party.
The copy of citizenship submitted by Lamichhane to the Election Commission has been taken to the District Police Complex Kathmandu. The Commission’s Assistant Spokesperson Guru Wagle said that a copy of the citizenship submitted by Lamichhane during the candidacy and party registration was provided after a request from the police.
The Commission has already recommended the Ministry of Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs to investigate Lamichhane’s citizenship. The District Administration Office had ordered an investigation into Lamichhane’s citizenship.
Lamichhane is being investigated on the basis of complaints that Lamichhane took foreign citizenship and did not renounce Nepali citizenship, did not re-acquire Nepali citizenship after renouncing foreign citizenship, ran for candidacy based on old citizenship, took Nepali passport without renouncing foreign passport.
During the investigation, if Lamichhane’s citizenship and passport are found to be invalid, the question has been raised as to what will happen to the legitimacy of the party. However, in the Party Act, there is a provision that the central committee can elect another person as the chairman if there is a question about the qualification of the party chairman or if he does not meet the qualifications. In this case, the party is not cancelled. Another person from the central committee can become the chairman, says Guru Wagle, deputy attorney general of the Election Commission.