On Thursday, the people of the Kingdom of Tonga will head to the ballot box for only the fifth general election in its history.
As the only remaining sovereign monarchy in the Pacific, the Kingdom, as it is known colloquially, is still young democratically, with most of the country's parliament being elected by the people for the first time in 2010.
Yet, in spite of the recent — and long heralded — milestones of political evolution, there is concern among some that Tonga is, already, slipping back into an autocracy.
"What we are witnessing is a reversal of democratic changes that happened in 2010," said Lopeti Senituli, a political commentator and former advisor to two prime ministers.
"What we agreed to in 2010 was a power-sharing arrangement between the king and a democratically elected prime minister and cabinet … that was what we agreed to."
Thursday's general election occurs less than a year after the former prime minister Siaosi Sovaleni resigned in parliament, just minutes after a motion for a vote of no-confidence was passed against him.
The public reasons given for the motion were alleged corruption and mismanagement, but there was widespread speculation the motion was the result of a power struggle between the prime minister and King Tupou VI.
Just weeks prior to Sovaleni's resignation, a dispute between the PM and king became public when a letter from Tonga's Royal Palace was leaked, revealing the king's disapproval of Sovaleni's foreign minister at the time, Fekita 'Utoikamanu.
The letter was later publicly rebuked by Sovaleni. Soon after, Sovaleni was replaced by the now Prime Minister 'Aisake Eke, and parliament passed legislation handing full control of Tonga's foreign affairs to the monarchy, renaming it "His Majesty's Diplomatic Service".
Mr Senituli said the move was an example of changes being made "without consulting the public".
Mr Sovaleni himself is on the ballot paper and widely predicted to win his constituency, with the prospect of being re-elected as prime minister a possibility.
Mr Senituli believes Mr Sovaleni has a good chance of returning to the top job, while others say the breakdown in relationship with the king leaves him with no chance.
Some, such as Tongan noble representative Lord Tuivakano, go further.
He believes the prime minister position should be decided by the king, effectively reversing the democratic reforms of 2010.
"Let the king choose the prime minister from the 26 MPs," he told the ABC.
"If that happens, all these quarrels will stop.
"Right now, you have individuals lobbying and calling around trying to secure the PM position.
"What's crucial is for the people's representatives to stand united — but realistically, they never will. They have different political ideologies."
Tonga's tough democratic experience
Tonga's 15 years as a democracy has been arduous.
In that short period, four out of five prime ministers have faced a vote of no confidence, 10 MPs have been convicted for corruption and bribery, and at one point, the country's parliament was dissolved for nearly four months.
Despite being recognised as a democracy, Tonga's political system still faces international and domestic criticism for allocating more than a third of parliament seats to "noble representatives" — MPs elected by a pool of just 33 hereditary chiefs and a handful of life peers.
Elections in the country have been peaceful and results have been undisputed, but frictions between cabinet and the monarchy and nobles have been ongoing.
There's a mixed reaction about the balance of powers within Tonga's political system, a system largely based on the United Kingdom's Westminster system — one which recognises the monarch as the head of state but a government directed by a democratically elected parliament.
"At the moment the parliament is unable to check itself, so the king has to get involved in the political process," said Tevita Motulalo, a long-time journalist and political commentator.
"I would prefer to have two chamber system with lower and upper house, because there are greater checks in place.
"The nobles are representatives of their territories and ha'a [tribe] … it's similar to that of a senator who comes in as representative of a state/province."
Tongans want better infrastructure and social support
On the streets of the capital Nuku'alofa, the tension between the palace and the politicians is not front of mind.
As they head to the ballot box, it's the economy, basic infrastructure, healthcare and crime.
"The biggest challenge that I'm seeing in my neighbourhood are the poor state of the roads … they're damaged and full of potholes," said one woman in Nuku'alofa.
"I'm looking to a government that prioritises education, health and security," said another.
"A lot of youth are using drugs … I feel like the government hasn't done enough for youth," said a man in the Tongatapu village of Vaotu'u.
"I will vote for the person who has love for the poor. Like myself, I'm not well off and I'd like someone who helps the poor. One thing I think could be improved is the pension for elderly people, these are the people who worked to build this country."
Tonga has endured persistent fuel shortages, with hours-long queues being a common sight at petrol stations.
Potholes dot almost every road and a number of resorts have closed down as a result of natural disasters.
The public sector is suffering from a severe labour shortage due to mass emigration and overseas labour mobility which has seen thousands of Tongans regularly travel to Australia and New Zealand to pick fruit and pack meat.
"As a single voter issue, democratic reform is no longer centre stage," said Mr Motulalo.
"The majority of the discussions in the election campaigns is about livelihoods, education, health and so forth."
For long time pro-democracy advocates like Mr Senituli, however, the monarch's increasing influence in the running of the country is worrying.
He says it could be just one step in the erosion of Tonga's democratic reforms.
"Now we are slowly witnessing the king re-inserting his executive authority and this is a step backwards," he said.
"This is what I'm worried about, that the democratic changes that we have made are going to be lost."
