Voters in Palau next week go to the polls in the preliminary round of voting for the November 4 Presidential election.
An amendment to the constitution in 2004 now requires presidential candidates to have mandatory running mates for vice president.
There are four teams vying for the position and the Palau Presidential chief of staff Billy Kuartei says a preliminary vote on September 23 is being held to choose which two teams will contest the final vote in November.
"This is the year of election in Palau. And because there are four presidential candidates with their running mates, there is going to be a referendum and then only two of the four candidates will move on to the general election in November. So its kind of interesting, busy and full of excitement time here in Palau for this month of September."
Billy Kuartei.
The candidates are Palau's current vice president Ellias Camsek Chin, Senate president Surangel Whipps, Senator Joshua Koshiba and lawyer Johnson Toribiong.
