The Supreme Court on Friday refused to issue an interim order in a case that demanded barring the Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane from working in the capacity of a lawmaker, accusing him of not re-acquiring the Nepali citizenship after having ceded his US citizenship.

The petitioners had accused Lamichhane of holding both US and Nepali citizenships. Lamichhane was found to have produced a copy of his Nepali citizenship he had acquired before getting American citizenship while filing his nomination papers for election to become a member of the lower house from Chitwan-2. Holding dual citizenship is illegal in Nepal.

A constitutional bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Hari Krishna Karki and comprising Justices Ishwar Prasad Khatiwada, Ananda Mohan Bhattarai, Anil Kumar Sinha and Prakashman Singh Raut maintained that the court will decide on the case through a final verdict.

With the court’s denial to issue a stay order, Lamichhane can now continue to work as a minister and a lawmaker.

The bench also decided to hear the case on a priority while responding to two writ petitions that had been filed demanding the annulment of Lamichhane’s membership from the House of Representatives.

The next hearing in the case will be held on January 25.

The petitioners had demanded that Lamichhane should be removed from the post of party chief. The petitioner had said that only Nepali citizens have a constitutional right to vote in the elections, become candidates and open a political party in the country. The petitioners had contended that Lamichhane’s positions as a member of the lower house and party president were illegal.