马英九正式辞去国民党主席职务

Taiwan's leader Ma Ying-jeou announced Tuesday that he will resign as chairman of the ruling Kuomintang party. He said his resignations is to take responsibility for the party’s worst ever defeat in local elections on the island.

Ma will tender his resignation at Wednesday’s meeting of the KMT Standing Committee, according to a party source. 64-year-old Ma has led the Kuomintang party since 2009. He has two more years to go in his second and final term as Taiwan leader. The party’s Vice-Chairman Hung Hsiu-chu will be the acting chairman until the party holds a new election, expected to take place in January at the earliest.

Two other vice-chairmen, Wu Den-yih and Hau Lung-pin have quit in the wake of Saturday’s election in which the Kuomintang won just 6 out of 22 municipalities and counties.