Speaker's Resignation Shakes Sri Lankan Parliament

Sri Lanka's Parliament Speaker, Asoka Ranwala, resigned amidst allegations of falsifying educational qualifications. Despite not making false claims, Ranwala couldn't provide documents proving his credentials. Opposition parties accused him of misleading the public, prompting his resignation to avoid further inconvenience. The controversy drew government and public attention.

Sri Lanka's Parliament Speaker Asoka Ranwala announced his resignation on Friday after allegations surfaced claiming he falsified his educational qualifications.

Ranwala stated that while he had not made any false statements about his credentials, he was unable to provide documents to verify them. The opposition party, Samagi Jana Balawegaya, accused him of misleading the public by claiming to hold a doctorate, leading to a motion of no confidence.

In response to the controversy, which saw changes on the parliamentary website, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared the government would act against anyone involved, regardless of rank. Ranwala, previously a trade union activist and employee at Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, served as speaker for less than a month.

(With inputs from agencies.)