Taiwan's main opposition Nationalist Party (KMT) thrashed the ruling DPP in legislative elections today, strengthening its bid to recapture the presidency in March and heralding better relations with China.
With all the votes counted, the KMT had won 81 seats in the 113-member parliament, or 72 percent, according to the Central Election Commission. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party won just 27 seats, or 24 percent, the rest going to other parties.
Chen Shui-bian, Taiwan's president since 2000, resigned as DPP chairman when the magnitude of his party's loss became clear, saying he should take responsibility for its defeat.
The KMT and its allied People First Party had previously held 49 percent of the seats in the larger 225-seat legislature, while the DPP and its allies held about 42 percent.
Many voters blame the DPP for allowing Taiwan's economy to languish under Chen.
Chen's family members and closest aides have also been embroiled in a series of scandals over the past year, plunging the party into its worst crisis since it was founded in 1986.
"This is the biggest failure since the founding of the DPP and as chairman I should take responsibility," Chen said. "I should shoulder the biggest responsibility ... We will have even bigger challenges ahead," he added, referring to the presidential election in March.
The KMT won its landslide victory "because Taiwanese people have used their wisdom to vote against corruption and incompetence in the government," said Tsai Chin-lung, who won a seat in Taichung for the party. "Taiwanese people are really outraged with what the government is doing," he said.