4th Sri Lankan presidential election
|
|
|
| Turnout |
73.31% |
|---|
|
|
 Winners of polling divisions. Kumaratunga in blue and Wickremasinghe in green. |
|
The Sri Lankan presidential election of 1999 was the fourth presidential election of Sri Lanka. Nominations were accepted on 16 November 1999, and the election was held on 21 December 1999 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.
Background
Sri Lankan presidents are 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 Tamil Tigers, 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 a Tamil Tiger assassination attempt at her final rally. She lost her right eye, and appeared heavily bandaged on television before the election.
Results
Summary of the 1999 Sri Lankan presidential election[1]
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
| | Chandrika Kumaratunga | People's Alliance | 4,312,157 | 51.12% |
| | Ranil Wickremasinghe | United National Party | 3,602,748 | 42.71% |
| | Nandana Gunathilake | Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna | 344,173 | 4.08% |
| | Harischandra Wijayatunga | Sinhalaye Mahasammatha Bhoomiputra Pakshaya | 35,854 | 0.43% |
| | W. V. M. Ranjith | Independent | 27,052 | 0.32% |
| Rajiva Wijesinha | Liberal Party | 25,085 | 0.30% |
| | Vasudeva Nanayakkara | Left & Democratic Alliance | 23,668 | 0.28% |
| | Tennyson Edirisuriya | Independent | 21,119 | 0.25% |
| Abdul Rasool | Sri Lanka Muslim Party | 17,359 | 0.21% |
| Kamal Karunadasa | People's Liberation Solidarity Front | 11,333 | 0.13% |
| | Hudson Samarasinghe | Independent | 7,184 | 0.09% |
| Ariyawansa Dissanayaka | Democratic United National Front | 4,039 | 0.05% |
| A. W. Premawardhana | People's Freedom Front | 3,983 | 0.05% |
| Valid Votes | 8,435,754 | 100.00% |
| Rejected Votes | 199,536 | |
| Total Polled | 8,635,290 | |
| Registered Electors | 11,779,200 | |
| Turnout | 73.31% | |
