(Taipei) Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen announced on Saturday that she was stepping down as head of the ruling party after a defeat in local elections.
“The election results are not what we expected […]. I take full responsibility for this and immediately resign from the presidency of the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP),” she told reporters.
Tsai Ing-wen will however remain president of the island.
The DPP lost four of the six cities taking part in the poll, including the capital Taipei.
Voters were also called upon to decide by referendum on a lowering of the legal age to vote from 20 to 18, which was rejected.
Since coming to power President Tsai Ing-wen, whose party considers Taiwan a de facto sovereign nation, Beijing has cut off official communications with the island, stepped up military exercises, toughened economic pressures and wrested Taiwan away. seven of his diplomatic allies.
Tensions between Taipei and Beijing reached their highest level in August, after the visit of Nancy Pelosi – American political figure – to which Beijing responded with gigantic military maneuvers.
The opposition is dominated by the Kuomintang party more favorable to a rapprochement with China, which promised on Saturday to “work hard to maintain peace in the region” and to prepare to win the next presidential election in 2024.