Sri Lanka's parliament speaker resigns amid controversy over academic credential

COLOMBO, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Parliament Speaker Asoka Sapumal Ranwala resigned on Friday in the wake of controversy over his educational qualification.

Earlier, the opposition parties have accused the speaker of lying about holding a PhD from a Japanese university.

In a statement, Ranwala clarified that he had never lied about his educational qualification, but admitted that he currently lacks documentary proof of his academic achievements.

He said that he had been awarded a doctorate by a research institute affiliated with Waseda University in Japan and hoped to present the degree certificate in the future.

"However, given the confusion surrounding the issue and to prevent embarrassment for those who trusted and voted for this government, I have decided to resign from the post of speaker for the time being," Ranwala said.

The resignation was prompted by an attempt by the opposition to bring a no-confidence motion against the speaker for misleading the public about his educational qualification.