September 1999 Likud leadership election explained

Election Name:September 1999 Likud leadership election
Flag Image:Likud Logo.svg
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:January 1999 Likud leadership election
Previous Year:1999 (Jan)
Next Election:2002 Likud leadership election
Next Year:2002
Election Date:2 September 1999
Image1:Ariel Sharon, by Jim Wallace (Smithsonian Institution) (1).jpg
Candidate1:Ariel Sharon
Percentage1:53%
Candidate2:Ehud Olmert
Percentage2:24%
Image3:Benny Begin 3 (1).JPEG
Candidate3:Meir Shitrit
Percentage3:24%
Leader
Before Election:Ariel Sharon (interim)
After Election:Ariel Sharon
Turnout:34.8%

The September 1999 Likud leadership election was held on 2 September 1999 to elect the leader of the Likud party. Ariel Sharon was elected to permanently replace former leader Benjamin Netanyahu. Sharon had been serving as interim leader since Netanyahu resigned following the party's defeat in the 1999 Israeli general election.

Background

The leadership election to elect a new Likud leader took place after Israeli Labor Party leader Ehud Barak heavily defeated Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu in the 1999 Israeli general election. After the election defeat, Netanyahu resigned as party leader and Ariel Sharon acted as interim party leader.[1]

Candidates

Electorate

The leadership election was open to the party's general membership, which, at the time, numbered at 143,871. Only roughly one-third of the eligible electorate participated in the vote.[1]

Result

Sharon won the election, becoming the party's new leader and the new leader of the opposition in the Knesset.[1] Due to his advanced age, some saw Sharon as a likely transitional leader, likely to serve only for a short time before stepping aside. But Sharon gave no indication of this being the case.[1]

Spending violation inquiries into Sharon

Sharon would face three official inquiries into potential violations of campaign spending limits in his 1999 leadership campaign.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Lavie . Mark . Ariel Sharon wins control of Likud party in Israel . The Associated Press . Newspapers.com . The Philadelphia Inquirer . 5 November 2022 . en . subscription . September 3, 1999.