Maldivians are heading to polling stations on Sunday to vote for the next leader of the small Indian Ocean nation, which has been trying to maintain its appeal as a honeymoon destination amid political instability.
Who will take the lead and savor the final victory remains unknown, but one thing is guaranteed – the two-horse race between incumbent President Abdulla Yameen and joint opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih is stealing the spotlight from the country's pristine beaches and crystal-clear waters.
Candidates and their running mates of Maldives election in 2018. /CGTN's Li Jingjie
Who is who
The 59-year-old Yameen, who won the previous presidential elections in 2013, is the second democratically-elected president of the Maldives.
"When I was first sworn into office, our nation was in disarray. The state institutions were in chaos, and the institutions were... on the brink of collapse," Yameen said in a recent address to the nation.
Five years into his tenure, he has restored "stability and economic prosperity" to the nation of 340,000 people and more than 1,000 coral islands, he claimed.
The president picked Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, chancellor of the Islamic University of Maldives, as his running mate.
"I urge everyone to unite behind President Yameen and for scholars, youth and all women of the country to work towards winning this election in one round," Shaheem tweeted after the announcement.
For him, the president's choice of a prominent scholar showed "his love of Islam."
Yameen's major rival, veteran lawmaker Solih is known for his calm composure.
Three months ago, the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) nominated Solih as its presidential candidate after former president Mohamed Nasheed withdrew as the party's pick for the September elections.
"I will choose the way of negotiation and discussion," Solih told the party congress after winning the candidature.
"We will open the MDP manifesto to allow the joint opposition to make additions, but we will not allow MDP's values to be trampled. Together, we can do this."
A Maldivian voter (L) casts her ballot at a polling station in Male, November 9, 2013. /VCG Photo
Solih's running mate, Faisal Naseem, holds similar views.
Speaking at a campaign event, Naseem said a government led by the opposition coalition will develop the sewerage system in Dhonfanu as "a vote for the opposition is a vote for change and that the only victory to be gained is for the rights of citizens."
Voting mode
Unlike past elections, which were normally held under a two-round system, this year's outcome will be decided in the first round as there are only two contestants.
The candidate that gets the majority of votes will claim victory, and be sworn in on November 17.
There are 262,135 eligible voters and 472 ballot boxes this year, the Elections Commission (EC) of Maldives said on Wednesday.
"An elections commission official and a policeman is going with every box. It will be kept with our focal points," EC spokesman Ahmed Akram said, amid accusations of possible electoral fraud.
Criticism over election integrity
Solih made fresh allegations of possible vote rigging against the country's electoral watchdog earlier this month.
"They (EC) are now saying that they would not show every ballot paper before announcing the result. They will only show individual ballots if there is an issue," Solih alleged.
Key moments in Maldivian political history. /CGTN's Xu Qianyun
In response to his accusation, Akram told local media everything will go according to the regulations on the election day.
"We will not be counting the ballots in secret, we will be showing the observers, monitors and party representatives the ballots," the spokesman added.
Election observers
The EC also said earlier this month that over 80 different foreign parties would observe the forthcoming presidential elections.
The United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU) have refused to send observers, saying the environment in the country is not "conducive."
The Maldivian civil society and opposition have urged the international community to continue to engage with the government without undermining the country's sovereignty and independence.
How will the results impact the country
Analysts predicted that if Yameen loses, the opposition expects him to declare a state of emergency and if Solih loses, the opposition is expected to protest across the country.
But even if Yameen loses, he will be the president until November 17 this year, according to the constitution.
Gulbin Sultana, research assistant at the Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses, pointed out the presidential election is a contest between Yameen's pledge to bring about a transformational change with mega-projects and Solih's pledge to bring changes to implement institutional reforms.
(With inputs from agencies)