PHNOM PENH, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) has scored a landslide victory in Sunday's polling of the commune councils election and thus retains its dominance in local governments, a local media said on Monday.

    Information Minister and government spokesman Khieu Kanharith unofficially declared late on Sunday that CPP took 98 percent or around 1,588 of the country's 1,621 communes, reported English newspaper the Cambodia Daily.

    CPP is in first place and has won three communes in Phnom Penh from the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), French newspaper the Cambodge Soir quoted him as saying.

    CPP won 73 out of Phnom Penh's 76 commune chief positions, with the remaining three going to SRP, it added.

    CPP has been the major ruling party since the kingdom was established in 1993 and almost one third of the country's population are currently of CPP affiliation.

    SRP Secretary-General Mu Sochua said that it has taken communes in Kompong Thom and Kratie, winning 26 communes out of the nation's total, the Cambodge Soir reported.

    Meanwhile, SRP President Sam Rainsy told reporters at his party headquarters that SRP has taken at least 29 communes, including three in Phnom Penh, three in Sihanoukville municipality, seven in Kompong Thom province, seven in Kampong Cham, and four in Kratie, reported Cambodian newspaper the Sralanh Khmer.

    "The political landscape in Cambodia has changed tonight. SRP has become the only alternative to the CPP," the Cambodia Daily quoted him as saying.

    Additionally, Ok Socheat, advisor to Prince Norodom Ranariddh whose newly-established Norodom Ranariddh Party (NRP) also joined the election, said that NRP was in third place in front of the co-ruling Funcincpec Party, said the Cambodge Soir.

    However, Funcinpec spokesman Nouv Sovathero declined to make any comment on it.

    Sunday's polling atmosphere was greatly improved on previous years, with intimidation and violence seemingly replaced with order, and no large-scale irregularities were noted at any of the 14, 428 polling stations nationwide, Cambodge Soir said.

    The National Election Committee (NEC) declared the participation rate as around 70 percent, based on results received in 20 cities and provinces.

    Official results of the polling will be declared by NEC on April 24, a local media disclosed.

    In the last commune councils election in 2002, 86 percent of 4.5 million registered voters cast their ballots.

    This has been the second ever commune councils election since the Kingdom of Cambodia was established in 1993. It has laid the groundwork for the general election in 2008.