PHNOM PENH, Dec. 17 (FN) -- The ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) held its 40th convention of the fifth term central committee on Saturday to review the achievements in 2016 and to set out an action plan for 2017, said the party's honorary president Samdech Heng Samrin.

"Also, the congress will examine the implementation of the plan towards the elections in upcoming years," he said. The country is scheduled to hold the commune election in June 2017 and the national election in July 2018.

Samrin, who is also the president of the National Assembly, said in 2016, the country had enjoyed peace, political stability, security, public order and development.

He expressed his strong belief that the Cambodian people would still provide confidence to the CPP's leadership and vote for the CPP in the upcoming elections.

The two-day congress was presided over by CPP's president Samdech Techo Hun Sen, who is the prime minister of Cambodia.

The CPP has ruled the country since 1979. Its current central committee consists of 545 members.

In the 2013 national election, the CPP won an absolute majority vote, receiving 68 parliamentary seats against 55 seats for the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party.