AKP Phnom Penh, January 19, 2026 --

The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) has announced the specific date for the Commune/Sangkat Council Election of the 6th mandate.

According to the RGC’s decision signed by Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet on Jan. 19, the 6th Commune/Sangkat Council Election will take place on Sunday June 6, 2027.

The Office of the Council of Ministers, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Economy and Finance, and Ministry of Civil Service and other relevant ministries and institutions are ordered to carry out the resolution effectively.

The previous Commune/Sangkat Council Election was held on June 5, 2022 in 23,602 polling stations with the participation of 17 political parties, including Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), Candlelight Party (CLP), FUNCINPEC Party, Khmer National United Party (KNUP), Cambodia National Love Party (CNLP), Cambodian Nationality Party (CNP), Cambodian Youth Party (CYP), Cambodia Reform Party (CRP), Khmer Will Party (KWP), Kampucheaniyum Party (KP), Grassroots Democratic Party (GDP), Ekpheap Cheat Khmer Party (ECKP), Beehive Social Democratic Party (BSDP), Cambodia Indigenous People’s Democracy Party (CIPDP), Khmer National United Party (KNUP), Reaksmey Khemara Party, and Khmer Economic Development Party (KEDP) to compete for the 1,652 communes/Sangkat throughout Cambodia.

After the election, CPP earned in total 9,376 seats, including 1,648 commune/Sangkat chief, 1,618 first deputy chief and 261 second deputy chief positions. 

The Candlelight Party came in second with 4 commune/Sangkat chiefs, 25 first deputies and 1,360 second deputies.

FUNCINPEC won 4 first deputy chief and 12 second deputy positions; the Khmer National United Party, 1 first deputy and 10 second deputy chief positions; the Grassroots Democratic Party and the Cambodian National Love Party, 2 first deputy chief and 2 second deputy chief positions each; the Cambodian Youth Party, 3 second deputy chief positions, the Kampucheaniyum Party and the Beehive Social Democratic Party 1 second deputy chief position each.

A total of 7,394,427 people went to the polls on June 5, 2022, equivalent to 80.32 percent of eligible voters, with 7,237,037 valid ballots and 157,390 invalid ballots.

In terms of total votes, the CPP received 5,378,773 votes, the Candlelight Party 1,610,556 votes; the FUNCINPEC Party 9,179 votes; the Khmer National United Party 63,868 votes; the Grassroots Democratic Party 6,807 votes; the Cambodian National Love Party 33,259 votes; the Cambodian Youth Party 13,841 votes; the Kampucheaniyum Party 4,856 votes; and the Beehive Social Democratic Party 2,450 votes.

5th Commune/Sangkat Council Election in 2022

By Heng Panha