Image: Parliament Website Archive shows Ashoka Ranwala referred as Dr. previously.
( Sri Lanka Brief/10.12.2024)
(NewsWire) Speaker Asoka Sapumal Ranwala’s academic qualifications are under scrutiny after the Sri Lanka Parliament website’s members’ directory removed the title “Dr.” from his profile.
Previously listed as “Dr. Asoka Ranwala,” his name now appears as “Asoka Ranwala MP,” raising further doubts about the legitimacy of his alleged doctorate.
Disinformation researcher Dr. Sanjana Hattotuwa said there is evidence that the webpage was edited within the last 24 hours to remove the title. Archived entries and Google search results still show the title “Dr.,” but the current profile does not.
“Based on an independently verifiable archive of the SL Parliament’s page with details of speakers, there is clear evidence that the webpage in question was edited in the past 24 hours. At least one aspect of the edits made was to remove the title ‘Dr.’ from the current speaker’s entry. Entries on Google for the Speaker’s profile page on the Parliament’s website continue to show ‘Dr.,’ while the official entry does not feature this anymore. This could also have been changed in the recent past,” Hattotuwa told Newswire.
In a separate press release about the Speaker’s meeting with U.S. officials, Parliament referred to him as “Dr. Asoka Ranwala,” raising questions about why the title was removed from the members’ directory.
The controversy arose when social media activists questioned Ranwala’s credentials on Facebook, sparking public calls for accountability. Former Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya also challenged Ranwala to prove his qualifications or step down.
Ranwala’s LinkedIn profile and Wikipedia page, which previously mentioned a PhD in Biochemistry from Japan’s Waseda University, were recently altered to omit the doctorate. His LinkedIn profile had also listed a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Moratuwa and a directorial role at the BioGenic Green Technology Research Institute.
When Ranwala was appointed Speaker, Parliament introduced him in a press release as follows:
“Dr. Asoka Ranwala represents the Gampaha District and entered Parliament following the most recent General Election. Beginning his political career as a member of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Dr. Ranwala currently serves as a member of the National Executive Committee of the NPP. Dr. Ranwala completed his primary education at Yatiyana Primary School and his secondary education at Henegama Central College. He holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Moratuwa and a doctorate in Biochemistry from Waseda University, Japan. Dr. Ranwala has also previously served as a member of the Biyagama Pradeshiya Sabha and the Western Provincial Council.”
Ranwala, a first-time MP and union leader, has reportedly denied the allegations, claiming they were part of a smear campaign. However, he has yet to provide documentation to verify his academic achievements.
The removal of the title from the Parliament website has intensified calls for greater accountability from public officials.
The Government has not yet commented on the controversy. (Newswire)