Election Name: | 1999 Sri Lankan presidential election |
Country: | Sri Lanka |
Type: | presidential |
Ongoing: | no |
Previous Election: | 1994 Sri Lankan presidential election |
Previous Year: | 1994 |
Next Election: | 2005 Sri Lankan presidential election |
Next Year: | 2005 |
Election Date: | 21 December 1999 |
Turnout: | 73.31% (2.84 pp) |
Image1: | File:Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga As The President of Sri Lanka.jpg |
Nominee1: | Chandrika Kumaratunga |
Color1: | 0000FF |
Party1: | Sri Lanka Freedom Party |
Alliance1: | People's Alliance (Sri Lanka) |
Popular Vote1: | 4,312,157 |
Percentage1: | 51.12% |
Nominee2: | Ranil Wickremesinghe |
Party2: | United National Party |
Alliance2: | — |
Popular Vote2: | 3,602,748 |
Percentage2: | 42.71% |
President | |
Before Election: | Chandrika Kumaratunga |
After Election: | Chandrika Kumaratunga |
Before Party: | Sri Lanka Freedom Party |
After Party: | Sri Lanka Freedom Party |
The 1999 Sri Lankan presidential election was the 4th presidential election, held on 21 December 1999. Nominations were accepted on 16 November 1999 and electoral participation was 73.31%. Incumbent President Chandrika Kumaratunga of the governing People's Alliance was re-elected for a second term, receiving 51% of all votes cast.
Sri Lankan presidents were elected for six-year terms; with the previous election having taken place in 1994, an election normally would not have been held until 2000. Kumaratunga called the election early.
Kumaratunga campaigned to continue her actions against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, while her main opponent Ranil Wickremasinghe called for the commencement of direct negotiations with the Tigers.
Three days before the election, Kumaratunga was nearly killed by an LTTE assassination attempt at her final rally. She lost her right eye, and appeared heavily bandaged on television before the election.