Prez resigns as party leader after local poll loss
TAIPEI: Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen resigned as head of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party following local election losses on Saturday suffered by her party.
Voters in Taiwan overwhelmingly chose the opposition Nationalist party in several major races across the selfruled island in an election in which lingering concerns about threats from China took a backseat to more local issues.
Tsai had spoken out many times about “opposing China and defending Taiwan” in the course of campaigning for her party.
But the party’s candidate Chen Shih-chung, who lost his battle for mayor of Taipei, only raised the issue of the Communist Party’s threat a few times before he quickly switched back to local issues as there was little interest, experts said.
Tsai offered her resignation on Saturday evening, a tradition after a major loss, in a short speech in which she also thanked supporters.
“I must shoulder all the responsibility,” she said. “Faced with a result like this, there are many areas that we must deeply review.”
Candidates from the Nationalist party won the mayoral seat in Taipei, Taiwan’s capital, as well as in Taoyuan, Taichung and New Taipei city.
Chiang Wan-an, the new Taipei mayor, declared victory on Saturday night in a large rally. “I will let the world see Taipei’s greatness,” he said.
Taiwanese elections are raucous and colourful affairs, with candidates touring their districts on the backs of trucks and SUVs seeking support, music blaring and campaign flags fluttering.
There is also a vote on lowering the voting age to 18 from 20, which both parties support.