Rabi Lamichhane

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Honourable
Rabi Lamichhane
MP
रबि लामिछाने
Rabi Lamichhane during Media Briefing
Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal
Assumed office
06 March 2024
PresidentRam Chandra Poudel
Prime MinisterPushpa Kamal Dahal
Preceded byPurna Bahadur Khadka
In office
26 December 2022 – 27 January 2023
PresidentBidhya Devi Bhandari
Prime MinisterPushpa Kamal Dahal
Preceded byRaghubir Mahaseth
Rajendra Mahato
Succeeded byPurna Bahadur Khadka
Minister of Home Affairs
Assumed office
6 March 2024
PresidentRam Chandra Poudel
Prime MinisterPushpa Kamal Dahal
Preceded byNarayan Kaji Shrestha
In office
26 December 2022 – 27 January 2023
PresidentBidhya Devi Bhandari
Prime MinisterPushpa Kamal Dahal
Preceded byBal Krishna Khand
Succeeded byNarayan Kaji Shrestha
Chairman of Rastriya Swatantra Party
Assumed office
29 January 2023
Preceded byDol Prasad Aryal (acting)
In office
1 July 2022 – 27 January 2023
Preceded byPosition created
Succeeded byDol Prasad Aryal (acting)
Member of Parliament, Pratinidhi Sabha
Assumed office
28 April 2023
Preceded byKrishna Bhakta Pokhrel
Succeeded byHimself
ConstituencyChitwan 2
In office
22 December 2022 – 27 January 2023
Preceded byHimself
ConstituencyChitwan 2
Personal details
Born (1975-06-11) 11 June 1975 (age 48)[citation needed]
Nagarkot, Kathmandu, Nepal
CitizenshipNepali (until 2007; 2023-present)
American (2007–2017)
Stateless (2018–2022)[1]
Political partyRastriya Swatantra Party
Spouse(s)
Isha Lamichhane
​
​
(m. 1995; div. 2019)​

​
(m. 2019)​
Children2
Parent
  • Lal Chandra Lamichhane (father)
Profession
  • Journalist
  • Politician

Rabi Lamichhane (Nepali: रबि लामिछाने; Nepali pronunciation: [ɾʌbi lamit͡sʰane]; born 11 June 1975[citation needed]) is a Nepali politician currently serving as the Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of Nepal. A former journalist, Rabi became the member of the House of Representatives from Chitwan 2 again on 28 April 2023, having previously represented the constituency from December 2022 to January 2023. He also previously served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs between December 2022 to January 2023. On 6th March 2024, he was appointed as minister for home affairs for the second time.[2]

Prior to entering politics, Lamichhane was a well-known television journalist/presenter. He gained popularity for his investigative journalism and social activism, particularly his coverage of social and political issues affecting marginalized communities in Nepal.[citation needed]

Broadcast career[edit]

Lamichhane rose to fame as the host of a television show on the News24 aimed at setting the world record for the longest marathon hosting of a television show in April 2013. He selected the 'Buddha was born in Nepal' theme in order to "help promote Nepal globally".[3] The previous record was set by two Ukrainian presenters who stayed on the air for 52 hours in 2011.[4] He interviewed politicians, journalists, and celebrities, and took phone calls from viewers. While he set the Guinness world record at over 62 hours in April 2013, the record has since been broken by Alexandru Raducanu of Romania, who hosted an over 72-hour-long show.[5]

Lamichhane went on to host the popular Sidha Kura Pradhanmantri Sanga (Straight Talk with the Prime minister) with prime minister KP Sharma Oli on the Nepal Television and News 24.[6] Later he went on to host Sidha Kura Janata Sanga on News24. The show's format has Lamichhane providing an editorial monologue alongside reporting, primarily the kind of sting journalism pioneered by the Indian news magazine Tehelka. Lamichhane follows up on complaints from ordinary people, chiefly victims of fraud or corruption, and confronts the alleged perpetrators on camera. The show has been described as "unapologetically nationalist, at times simplistic in its coverage of complex issues," and creating "a cult of personality around its host".[7][8] Lamichhane resigned from News24 in January 2021 and announced the launch of a new version of his show as Sidha Kura on Galaxy 4K TV.[9]

Political career[edit]

On 16 June 2022, Lamichhane announced his resignation from Galaxy 4K TV in order to contest the 2022 general elections later in the year for a seat to the House of Representatives.[10] He announced the formation of a new political party, the Rastriya Swatantra Party on 21 June 2022.[11] He registered his candidacy from Chitwan 2.[12] His car was vandalized while on the campaign trail in Chitwan on 13 November 2022.[13]

Lamichhane was elected with a majority of 34,312 votes, defeating Nepali Congress' Umesh Shrestha, an incumbent minister of state, and CPN (UML)'s Krishna Bhakta Pokhrel, the incumbent member of the constituency.[14] In the aftermath of the election, his party supported Pushpa Kamal Dahal's nomination for prime minister, and Lamichhane led the RSP in government as deputy prime minister and minister for home affairs.[15][16]

During his campaign for the 2022 general election, a complaint was filed calling for his candidacy to be scrapped. The complainant claimed that Lamichhane had not renounced his Nepali citizenship while being an American citizen and Nepali law does not allow dual citizenship.[17][18] On 27 January 2022, the Supreme Court of Nepal ruled that Lamichhane did not follow due process to re-obtain his Nepali citizenship after renouncing his American citizenship, and thus, was not a legal Nepali citizen. This verdict effectively stripped Lamichhane of his position as deputy prime minister and minister of home affairs.[19]

Having re-acquired Nepali citizenship, he contested the by-election held for his seat of Chitwan 2 in April 2023, and was re-elected securing an even greater margin of votes than in the 2022 general election.[20]

Electoral history[edit]

2023 by-election[edit]

CandidatePartyVotes%
Rabi LamichhaneRastriya Swatantra Party54,17670.03
Jit Narayan ShresthaNepali Congress11,21414.49
Ram Prasad NeupaneCPN (UML)10,93614.14
Others1,0401.34
Total77,366100.00
Majority42,962
Rastriya Swatantra Party hold
Source: ECN[21]

2022 general election[edit]

CandidatePartyVotes%
Rabi LamichhaneRastriya Swatantra Party49,30061.05
Umesh ShresthaNepali Congress14,98818.56
Krishna Bhakta PokharelCPN (UML)14,65218.14
Others1,8132.25
Total80,753100.00
Majority34,312
Rastriya Swatantra Party gain
Source: ECN[22]

Legal issues[edit]

In Nepal: On 15 August 2019, police arrested Lamichhane from his News 24 office in connection with the suicide of journalist Shalikram Pudasaini.[23][24] In a video recorded before his death, Pudasaini, who had also worked for News24, had named Lamichhane, among others, as driving him to suicide.[6] Chitwan police charged Lamichhane, along with two others with abetment of suicide.[25][26] His arrest provoked widespread protest rallies in his support across the country with thousands of young people taking to the streets in Chitwan.[24][27][28] Protestors saw Lamichhane's arrest as an attempt to stifle his journalism and retaliation for his exposure of corruption in the state.[29] Chitwan District Court released Lamichhane on Rs 500,000 bail a few days later.[30] Judge Hemanta Rawal eventually cleared Lamichhane of all charges.[31]


Citizenship[edit]

Lamichhane was an American citizen from 2007 to 2017. He claimed that his previous Nepali citizenship was revived following the renouncement of his American citizenship. A ruling of the Supreme Court of Nepal on 27 January 2023 removed him from all public offices (deputy prime minister and home minister; party chairman and parliamentary party leader) and as Member of Parliament for not following due process and obtaining a new Nepali citizenship after renouncing his American citizenship in 2017.[32] He re-acquired Nepali citizenship following due process on 29 January 2023.[33]

Criticism[edit]

While Lamichhane has become a celebrity in Nepal, there are some who have raised questions about his style of journalism and the "cult of personality" that has sprung up around him. While his methods have borne results for the ordinary people on whose behalf he pursues cases of fraud and corruption, critics have pointed to his "nationalist posturing" and "simplistic storylines".[7]

On 5 February 2023, after being stripped of his positions as Home Minister and Member of Parliament by the Supreme Court over irregularities in his citizenship, Lamichhane held a news conference alleging that the Nepali mainstream media had framed him. He alleged that the owners of media houses like Kantipur Publications, Annapurna Media, Setopati and Onlinekhabar had their own conflicts of interest and had gotten together to defame him. The media called his accusations "attack on the entire media industry" and that Lamichhane had thrown a temper tantrum after losing his positions in government[34][35]

Personal life[edit]

Lamichhane was married to Isha Lamichhane for 24 years until their divorce in 2019. They had been separated for 10 years prior to their divorce.[36] He married the-then chair of the Nepal Film Development Board, Nikita Poudel, on 21 January 2019.[37] Lamichhane has two daughters with his first wife.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "रवि लामिछानेको सांसद पद खारेज". OnlineKhabar. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  2. ^ "PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal, 3 DPMs, 4 ministers sworn in: Here's the full list of Dahal's new team". OnlineKhabar English. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  3. ^ "Nepali hosts longest-ever talk show". BBC News. 13 April 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  4. ^ "Nepalese presenter sets record for longest talk show - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)". ABC News. ABC. 14 April 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  5. ^ "Longest marathon television talk show". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  6. ^ a b "६ महिनामै रविको सत्तायात्रा". ekantipur.com (in Nepali). Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Everyone is talking about Rabi Lamichhane. Here's what you need to know about the law that had him detained". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  8. ^ Gill, Peter. "Why Nepal loves Rabi Lamichhane – and why some revile him - The Record". www.recordnepal.com. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  9. ^ "Ravi Lamichhane quits News24 TV; Thursday's program to be the last episode". Khabarhub. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  10. ^ "Rabi Lamichhane exits TV to enter politics". OnlineKhabar. 16 June 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  11. ^ "Rabi Lamichhane announces Nepal Independent Party - OnlineKhabar English News". 21 June 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  12. ^ Republica. "Rabi Lamichhane to contest HoR polls from Chitwan-2". My Republica. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  13. ^ "Rabi Lamichhane's car vandalized; RSP accuses govt of failing to provide election security - OnlineKhabar English News". 16 November 2022. Archived from the original on 16 November 2022. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  14. ^ "Rabi Lamichhane elected from Chitwan-2". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  15. ^ "RSP to join govt under Chairman Rabi Lamichhane's leadership". Khabarhub. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  16. ^ Republica. "Lamichhane to lead RSP in Dahal-led govt". My Republica. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  17. ^ Republica. "EC seeks explanation from Ravi Lamichhane over citizenship controversy". My Republica. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  18. ^ "Issue over Lamichhane's citizenship gets complex". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  19. ^ "Court strips Lamichhane of all posts over citizenship". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  20. ^ "Rabi Lamichhane elected from Chitwan-2". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  21. ^ "प्रतिनिधि सभा सदस्य उपनिर्वाचनमा उम्मेदवारहरुको सुची". Election Commission of Nepal.
  22. ^ "प्रतिनिधि सभा सदस्य निर्वाचनमा उम्मेदवारहरुको सुची". Election Commission of Nepal.
  23. ^ "पत्रकार दुर्व्यवहार र पक्राउको शैलीप्रति महासंघको ध्यानकर्षण || Federation of Nepali Journalists". fnjnepal.org. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  24. ^ a b Gill, Peter. "Popular Support Grows for Indicted Nepali Journalist". thediplomat.com. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  25. ^ "Pudasaini death mystery: TV host Lamichhane among three arrested". The Himalayan Times. 16 August 2019. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  26. ^ "Suicide abetment charge lodged against three including Rabi Lamichhane". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  27. ^ "Lamichhane's supporters continue protest in Chitwan". The Himalayan Times. 17 August 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  28. ^ Magazine, New Spolight. "Angry Supporters Vandalized Police Vehicle In Chitwan". SpotlightNepal. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  29. ^ Magazine, New Spolight. "Rabi Lamichhane's Supporters Demanded His Unconditional Release". SpotlightNepal. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  30. ^ "Lamichhane, Kandel released on bail, Karki on general date". The Himalayan Times. 26 August 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  31. ^ "Lamichhane gets clean chit in journo's suicide case". The Himalayan Times.
  32. ^ "रवि लामिछानेको सांसद पद खारेज". Onlinekhbar. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  33. ^ "Rabi Lamichhane reacquires citizenship certificate". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  34. ^ "FNJ condemns Rabi Lamichhane's remarks on media and media persons". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  35. ^ "Diagnosing Rabi Lamichhane's character in relation to his recent tantrum - OnlineKhabar English News". 11 February 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  36. ^ Magazine, New Spolight. "Media Person Rabi Lamicchane Secured Divorce From His Wife". SpotlightNepal. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  37. ^ Republica. "Rabi Lamichhane and Nikita Poudel get married". My City. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
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