 However, he was killed in a suicide bombing on 24 October 1994, sixteen days before the election.The UNP, hoping to capitalise on the sympathy vote, chose Srima Dissanayake over former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and former first lady Hema Premadasa to be Gamini Dissanayake’s replacement.However, many UNP officials refused to campaign for Srima Dissanayake who, for security reasons, campaigned through the media only.