Taiwan cabinet resigns

The Taiwan government's 81-strong cabinet formally stepped down on Monday following Premier Jiang Yi-huah's resignation on Saturday in the wake of the party's worst ever showing in local elections.

"The results of the elections show that people are discontent with our policies. We respect the people's will and should carefully review what we've done in order to make progress," Jiang said.

The ruling Kuomintang (KMT) party has pursued closer ties with Beijing since President Ma Ying-jeou came to power in 2008. The local results were seen as a key indicator ahead of the 2016 presidential elections. Ma is serving his second, and final, four-year term as president, which ends in 2016. He is now expected to give up the chairmanship of the KMT which he also holds.

Plans for a services trade agreement with China set off student-led protests and a three-week occupation of Taiwan's parliament earlier this year. A slowing economy and a series of scandals concerning food has also angered voters.

The KMT lost five of Taiwan's six large municipalities, including the capital Taipei, and the island's third-largest city, Taichung, in central Taiwan. The opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which advocates independence for Taiwan, now controls major cities in southern Taiwan and the former KMT stronghold of Taichung.

Ko Wen-je, an independent candidate won the election for mayor of Taipei with 57 percent of the vote, against 41 percent for the KMT candidate. Ko was backed by the DPP. The ruling party had held the capital for the last sixteen years.

A record 11,130 seats were contested in Saturday's election in municipalities, counties, townships and villages nationwide.

jm/gb (AFP, dpa, Reuters)