Ex-Soviet satellite Azerbaijan began voting in a presidential election Wednesday with incumbent Ilham Aliyev all but certain to maintain his grip on power in the strategic oil-rich republic.
Indeed the only suspense surrounding the vote is how Aliyev will navigate the increasingly choppy waters between Russia and the United States as each turns up the heat in vying for his country's allegiance.
Polling stations across the mainly Muslim country opened at 8:00 am (0300 GMT) and were due to close at 7:00 pm (1400 GMT).
Leading opponents were boycotting the vote, accusing Azerbaijani authorities of persecuting the opposition, muzzling the media and fixing previous polls.
The names of six other candidates appear alongside Aliyev's on the ballot, but all are loyal to the authorities and some have not even bothered to campaign.
Analysts say the only question is by how wide a margin the 46-year-old Aliyev, son of the Caspian state's previous president Heydar Aliyev, will surpass the other contenders. Heydar Aliyev dominated political life here for more than 30 years.
And while some opposition protests may take place after the vote, analysts say there is little appetite in Azerbaijan for a revolution or turmoil.
Fueled by energy exports, Azerbaijan's economy grew by 26% last year, among the highest growth rates in the world, despite widespread corruption.
Since coming to power in 2003 after his father's death, Aliyev has walked a tightrope between Moscow and Washington as the two vied for access to the vast energy resources of the Caspian Sea.
Despite criticism of his democratic record, Washington has lauded Aliyev as a key energy partner.
Azerbaijan is the starting point for a strategic corridor of pipelines delivering oil and gas from the Caspian Sea to Turkey, and on to Western markets.
But analysts say Aliyev will remain wary of angering Soviet-era master Moscow, especially after August's Georgia-Russia war showed how far the Kremlin was willing to go to protect its interests in the region.
Even before the war, Azerbaijan was in talks with Russian gas giant Gazprom (GAZP.RS) to ship some of its gas through Russian pipelines.
About 4.8 million people are registered to vote. The Central Elections Commission will begin releasing preliminary results late Wednesday.