Phnom Penh, Jun 24 (IANS): The ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) led by Prime Minister Hun Sen won a landslide victory in the fifth commune polls on June 5, according to official results released by the National Election Committee (NEC) on Friday.

Seventeen political parties contested in the polls for the 11,622 positions of commune councillors in 1,652 communes across the Southeast Asian nation for the next five years, reports Xinhua news agency.

The NEC said the CPP won 9,376 seats, or 80.6 per cent, while the main opposition Candlelight Party got 2,198 seats, or 18.9 per cent.

It added that the Funcinpec party earned 19 seats, the Khmer National United Party got 13, the Grassroots Democratic Party won six, the Cambodian Nation Love Party gained five, the Cambodian Youth Party took three, and the Kampucheaniyum Party and the Beehive Social Democratic Party got one each.

NEC chairman Prach Chan said the voter turnout was 7.39 million, or 80.3 per cent of the 9.2 million registered voters.

"It was a successful election with a peaceful atmosphere," he said.

"Security, safety and public order were well maintained, and no incidents or acts of violence were reported."

The commune polls are seen as a test for the popularity of political parties ahead of the general elections in July 2023.

The 1,646 communes of Cambodia are the subdivisions of districts and municipalities.