Premier Jiang Yi-huah and his Cabinet have resigned en masse. The move came on Monday on the heels of the ruling Kuomintang’s (KMT) landslide defeat in the local elections on Saturday.
The KMT went into the elections holding 15 of the 22 city and county chief positions up for grabs, but it managed to win only six. The opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), on the other hand, went from holding six of those seats, to winning 13.
At a meeting following the mass resignation, Jiang urged his Cabinet to remain steadfast in their positions during a caretaker period, in order to ensure the normal operations of the country.
Jiang also spoke about the accomplishments of the Cabinet over the past 21 months since he took over the premiership. He said that while the Cabinet ministers have faced a lot of criticisms, their hard work and sacrifices will be remembered throughout history.
The premier also said that in addition to respecting the opinions of the electorate, the government should also take a closer look at why it was unable to win greater support from the public.