1999 Sri Lankan presidential election

none Sri Lanka presidential 1994 Sri Lankan presidential election 1994 2005 Sri Lankan presidential election 2005 21 December 1999 73.31% ( 2.84pp) Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga As The President of Sri Lanka.jpg Chandrika Kumaratunga 0000FF Sri Lanka Freedom Party People's Alliance (Sri Lanka) 4,312,157 51.12% Defense.gov News Photo 031103-D-2987S-069 (cropped).jpg Ranil Wickremesinghe United National Party — no 3,602,748 42.71% Wahlbezirkskarte Präsidentschaft Sri_Lanka 1999.svg Results by polling division President Chandrika Kumaratunga Chandrika Kumaratunga Sri Lanka Freedom Party Sri Lanka Freedom Party Presidential elections were held in Sri Lanka on 21 December 1999. They were the fourth presidential elections held in the country's history. Incumbent president Chandrika Kumaratunga of the governing People's Alliance was re-elected for a second term, receiving 51% of the vote, defeating her main opponent Ranil Wickremesinghe of the United National Party.Will Ranil Wickremesinghe survive the September 21 Presidential elections? https://www.deccanherald.com/world/will-ranil-wickremesinghe-survive-the-september-21-presidential-elections-3194633 2025-11-12 Deccan Herald en Background Chandrika Kumaratunga assumed office on 12 November 1994, after winning that year's presidential election. Under the provisions of the Constitution, the president was elected to a six-year term and could call an early presidential election after completing four years of the first term. President Kumaratunga decided to call an early election, as she was constitutionally eligible, since four years of her first term were completed on 12 November 1998. She announced the Proclamation through Gazette Extraordinary No. 1102/22 on 20 October 1999.The Sunday Times - From the Blue Corner https://www.sundaytimes.lk/991024/blue.html 2025-11-12 www.sundaytimes.lk Nominations were accepted from 9:00 am to 11:00 am IST on 16 November 1999. The election date, 21 December 1999, was announced via Gazette Extraordinary No. 531/12 on the same day. Campaign President Kumaratunga declared her intention to run for a second term, campaigning to continue her actions against the LTTE in the country's then-ongoing civil war. The United National Party nominated Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe as its candidate, who called for direct negotiations with the LTTE. Proposed debate During the campaign, the UNP proposed a live presidential debate between Wickremesinghe and Kumaratunga to discuss major national issues, particularly the conflict with the LTTE, economic policies, and governance.The Ranil-Chandrika Debate of 1999 that never occurred - Opinion https://www.dailymirror.lk/opinion/The-Ranil-Chandrika-Debate-of-1999-that-never-occurred/172-284468 2025-11-14 www.dailymirror.lk en Kumaratunga declined to participate, and as a result, the debate never took place. Assassination attempt Attempted assassination of Chandrika Kumaratunga On 18 December 1999, three days before the election, Kumaratunga was seriously wounded in a suicide-bomb attack at her final election rally in Colombo. The attack was carried out by a female LTTE suicide bomber.Burke Jason 1999-12-19 Suicide bomber blasts Sri Lanka's woman leader https://www.theguardian.com/world/1999/dec/19/srilanka 2025-11-12 The Guardian en-GB 0261-3077 The blast killed dozens, including members of her security detail, senior police officers, journalists, and bystanders, and left over 100 others injured. Kumaratunga survived, but lost vision in her right eye and sustained facial injuries.Victory and war in Sri Lanka https://www.economist.com/asia/1999/12/23/victory-and-war-in-sri-lanka 2025-11-14 The Economist 0013-0613 Despite her injuries, she was sworn in for a second term on 22 December 1999 while still bandaged, vowing to fight terrorism and restore peace.UPI Focus;NEWLN:Injured Sri Lankan president sworn in - UPI Archives https://www.upi.com/Archives/1999/12/22/UPI-FocusNEWLNInjured-Sri-Lankan-president-sworn-in/4441945838800/ 2025-11-14 UPI enadmin-lithic 1999-12-22 “Our vow and our destiny are that peace must reign” – President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga https://presidentcbk.lk/1999/12/22/our-vow-and-our-destiny-are-that-peace-must-reign/ 2025-11-14 en-US Results The results were officially declared on 22 December 1999, with Chandrika Kumaratunga winning a second term. She was sworn in later that same day at the Temple Trees, only hours after the announcement of the final results. Chandrika Kumaratunga People's Alliance 4312157 Ranil Wickremasinghe United National Party 3602748 Nandana Gunathilake Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna 344173 Harischandra Wijayatunga Sinhalaye Mahasammatha Bhoomiputra Pakshaya 35854 W. V. M. Ranjith Independent 27052 Rajiva Wijesinha Liberal Party 25085 Vasudeva Nanayakkara Left & Democratic Alliance 23668 red Tennyson Edirisuriya Independent 21119 Abdul Rasool Sri Lanka Muslim Party 17359 Kamal Karunadasa People's Liberation Solidarity Front 11333 Hudson Samarasinghe Independent 7184 Ariyawansa Dissanayaka Democratic United National Front 4039 A. W. Premawardhana Bahujana Nidahas Peramuna 3983 199536 11779200 Election Commission Popular vote (%) 600px 410px Kumaratunga Sri Lanka Freedom Party 51.12 Wickremesinghe United National Party 42.71 Gunathilake Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna 4.08 Geographical Share (%) 600px 410px Kumaratunga Sri Lanka Freedom Party 81.25 Wickremesinghe United National Party 18.75 References http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/1999%20Presidential.pdf Result of Presidential Election 1999 Department of Elections, Sri Lanka dead https://web.archive.org/web/20090304101308/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/1999%20Presidential.pdf 2009-03-04 http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/election/presidential1999.jsp 1999 Sri Lanka Presidential Election Results LankaNewspapers.com http://www.manthree.com/elections/results/?id=7 1999 - Presidential Election Manthree.com dead https://web.archive.org/web/20140928123933/http://www.manthree.com/elections/results/?id=7 2014-09-28 http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/s/srilanka/srilankapres1999.txt Republic of Sri Lanka Presidential Elections of 22 December 1999 Psephos - Adam Carr's Election Archive Sri Lanka Presidential Sri Lanka Category:Ranil Wickremesinghe