Dingiri Banda Wijetunga vs Shimon Peres

Wijetunga was appointed Prime Minister by President Premadasa in 1989, serving until 1993. As Prime Minister, he was responsible for day-to-day governance during a period of intense civil war and the suppression of the second JVP insurrection.

Wijetunga was appointed Acting President following the assassination of President Ranasinghe Premadasa by the LTTE. He was later elected by Parliament to complete the remainder of Premadasa's term, serving until 1994. His presidency was seen as a stabilizing transition.

Wijetunga presided over the 1994 parliamentary election, which resulted in a victory for the People's Alliance led by Chandrika Kumaratunga. This election ended 17 years of UNP rule and marked a peaceful transfer of power, a rare event in Sri Lanka's modern history.

As Foreign Minister under Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Peres led the secret negotiations with the PLO that resulted in the Oslo Accords. The agreement established the Palestinian Authority and set a timetable for Israeli withdrawal from parts of the West Bank and Gaza.

Peres, along with Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in negotiating the Oslo Accords. The prize recognized their efforts to create a framework for Israeli-Palestinian peace.

After Yitzhak Rabin's assassination, Peres became Prime Minister. His term was brief, lasting until the 1996 election which he lost to Benjamin Netanyahu. He continued Rabin's peace policies but faced security challenges from Hamas suicide bombings.

After leaving office, Peres founded the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation in Jaffa. The center promotes peace-building, economic cooperation, and technological innovation between Israelis and Palestinians, as well as across the Middle East.

Peres was elected President of Israel by the Knesset. The largely ceremonial role allowed him to focus on national unity and international diplomacy. He served a seven-year term, using the position to promote peace and innovation.