Elections Commission (EC) has been assigned the presidential candidates their numbers for September’s election.

President Abdulla Yameen has been assigned the number ‘one’ and Joint Opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has been assigned the number ‘two’.

Tourism minister Moosa Zameer, also the deputy leader of ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), joined the ceremony on behalf of President Yameen while Hisaan Hussain, the legal affairs director of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), joined on behalf of candidate Solih.

Speaking at the ceremony, EC chief Ahmed Shareef predicted that the election result will be decisive in the first round and that it will become a historical moment for the country.

At the ceremony, the candidates were also given rulebooks on campaigning.

Shareef said that no candidate should spread misinformation or in any other way hinder the rights of the other candidate while campaigning.

After the ceremony. the candidates are now officially allowed to begin campaigning.