Anyone elected to Parliament can become Speaker; doctorate, educational certificate not needed: Chamal

Colombo, December 15 (Daily Mirror)- Claiming that a doctorate or an educational certificate was not needed to become the Speaker, former Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa said anyone who is elected to Parliament without a doctorate or even an educational certificate can become a Speaker.

He told the media that it would be an issue only if former Speaker Ashoka Ranwala had submitted his details to Parliament as having a doctorate.

Rajapaksa said it is praiseworthy that Ranwala resigned as the Speaker after the controversy erupted over his doctorate.

"It is not a big issue," he added.