Chandrika Kumaratunga vs Mustafa Resid Pasha

Kumaratunga won the presidential election, becoming the first female president of Sri Lanka. She led the People's Alliance coalition and promised peace negotiations with the LTTE.

Kumaratunga survived a suicide bomb attack by the LTTE during a rally at Colombo Town Hall. The blast killed 15 people and injured her, causing permanent damage to her right eye.

Kumaratunga proposed a new constitution to devolve power to provinces, aiming to address Tamil grievances. The proposal faced opposition from Sinhalese nationalists and was not adopted.

Kumaratunga's government signed a ceasefire agreement with the LTTE, brokered by Norway. The peace process stalled due to disagreements over power-sharing and LTTE's refusal to disarm.

As Foreign Minister, Mustafa Re

During his multiple terms as Grand Vizier, Mustafa Re

Mustafa Reşid Pasha was appointed Grand Vizier for the first time in 1846. He had previously served as ambassador to London and Paris, where he absorbed Western ideas. His appointment marked the beginning of the Tanzimat reform era, which aimed to modernize the Ottoman Empire.

Mustafa Reşid Pasha served as Foreign Minister during the Crimean War (1853-1856). He negotiated alliances with Britain and France, securing their military support against Russia. His diplomacy helped the Ottoman Empire emerge from the war with its territorial integrity preserved.

Mustafa Reşid Pasha died in 1858 while serving as Grand Vizier. His death marked the end of the first phase of the Tanzimat, but his reforms continued to influence Ottoman modernization efforts for decades.