September 1999 Likud leadership election

September 1999 Likud leadership election
	2 September 1999
Turnout	34.8%
Leader before election; Ariel Sharon (interim);	Elected Leader ; Ariel Sharon;

The September 1999 Likud leadership election was held on 2 September 1999^[1] 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 after Netanyahu led the party to defeat in the earlier 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.^[2]

Candidates

Ehud Olmert, mayor of Jerusalem^[2] since 1993
Ariel Sharon,^[2] former minister of defense (1981–1983), former minister of energy (1996–1999), former minister of industry and trade (1984–1990), former minister of housing and construction (1990–1993), former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (1977–1981), member of the Knesset since 1974, former general
Meir Shitrit, minister of finance^[2] since 1998; member of the Knesset (1981–1988, and since 1992)

Electorate

The leadership election was open to the party's general membership, which, at the time, numbered at 143,871.^[1] Only roughly one-third of the eligible electorate participated in the vote.^[2]

Result

Sharon won the election, becoming the party's new leader and the new leader of the opposition in the Knesset.^[2] 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.^[2]

September 1999 Likud leadership election^[1]
Candidate	Votes	%
Ariel Sharon		53
Ehud Olmert		24
Meir Shitrit		22
Voter turnout	34.8%

Spending violation inquiries into Sharon

Sharon would face three official inquiries into potential violations of campaign spending limits in his 1999 leadership campaign.^[1]

References

1 2 3 4 Kenig, Ofer (2009). "Democratizing Party Leadership Selection in Israel: A Balance Sheet". Israel Studies Forum. 24 (1): 62–81. ISSN 1557-2455. JSTOR 41805011. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Lavie, Mark (3 September 1999). "Ariel Sharon wins control of Likud party in Israel". The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Associated Press. Retrieved 5 November 2022 – via Newspapers.com.

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[Kenig-1] 1 2 3 4 Kenig, Ofer (2009). "Democratizing Party Leadership Selection in Israel: A Balance Sheet". Israel Studies Forum. 24 (1): 62–81. ISSN 1557-2455. JSTOR 41805011. Retrieved 25 January 2022.

[Lavie-2] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Lavie, Mark (3 September 1999). "Ariel Sharon wins control of Likud party in Israel". The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Associated Press. Retrieved 5 November 2022 – via Newspapers.com.

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