Twelve parties had registered for the June commune elections as of Saturday evening – one day before the deadline – with a National Election Committee spokesman yesterday saying no further parties were believed added on the last day.

Norodom Ranariddh’s Funcipec and new hopefuls the Khmer National United Party and Grassroots Democratic Party were among the smaller parties joining the ruling Cambodian People’s Party and opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party in contesting the June 4 poll across the country’s 1,646 communes.

Other parties registered include the League for Democracy Party, Beehive Social Democracy Party, Cambodian Youth Party, Cambodian Indigenous Democracy Party, Khmer Power Party, Khmer National Party and the Democratic Republic Party.

As of Saturday, the NEC said the CPP and CNRP had registered candidates for 1,570 and 1,372 communes, respectively, though officials from both parties confirmed yesterday they would compete in all 1,646 communes.

“The CNRP has registered in 1,646 communes, but in Rattanakkiri province, in one of the communes, we lack of [enough] candidates,” said Soeng Sopheary, head of election affairs for the CNRP, adding that they would submit additional candidates for that commune.

In the 2012 commune elections, the Sam Rainsy Party and Human Rights Party contested separately before merging for the 2013 national elections.