13 December 2024 09:00 am Views - 139
Days after a shocking dispute over the doctoral credentials of Speaker Asoka Ranwala and his stoic silence over it, fresh controversy has emerged following the discovery that Urban Development and Housing Minister Aruna Karunatilake also does not possess such qualifications despite him being referred to as ‘Dr.’ on certain occasions and instances, and the same of Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara being dropped from the parliamentary website.
An informed source told the Daily Mirror that some close aides of Minister Karunatilake had referred to him as ‘Dr.’ mistakenly since he is from academia.
The Minister is currently reading for his doctorate in Computational Mathematics at the Kelaniya University.
He is expected to submit his thesis within the next three months only.
In the meantime, the Justice Minister had also been referred with the ‘Dr’ title in official letters issued by the Office of Leader of the House earlier, but it had been knocked off from the parliamentary website.
The sudden drop has further fuelled concerns that the academics who entered Parliament on the NPP ticket had used fake titles to deceive the public.
It is learnt that the parliamentary authorities have instructed those officials to have an overview of the titles in front of the names of MPs.
Opposition parties say this is an assault on the legitimacy of the NPP which boasted of academic and professional qualifications of its members, now assigned with responsibilities to run the country.
Earlier, the UNP said that the use of a fake doctorate title by the Speaker is an insult to the Parliament of Sri Lanka which is the oldest democracy in South Asia. Following criticism, the Speaker has got his title removed from the official website of Parliament.
The government has not made any official announcement yet, though the government said he was expected to hold a media briefing soon and would release a statement.
The NPP government, throughout it’s Presidential and Parliamentary campaign had been stating that their candidates were professionals including doctors, engineers etc. and they would bring in a new political culture by maintaining transparency.
Opposition parties such as the SLPP have already called on the diplomatic community to distance itself from the Speaker due to his alleged false educational qualifications and called on him to resign immediately.