Dingiri Banda Wijetunga vs Xavier Arzalluz

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.

Arzalluz became the leader of the PNV, the main Basque nationalist party, during the Spanish transition to democracy. He guided the party's strategy for achieving Basque autonomy.

Arzalluz was a key negotiator for the Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country, which granted the region significant self-government. The statute was approved by referendum.

Arzalluz publicly condemned ETA's violent campaign for Basque independence, advocating for peaceful political means. This stance distanced the PNV from the terrorist group.

Arzalluz supported the 'Plan Ibarretxe', a proposal for greater Basque sovereignty that included the right to self-determination. The plan was rejected by the Spanish Cortes.