Taiwan's Ma to resign as KMT chairman

Taiwan's leader, Ma Ying-jeou, announced on Tuesday that he will step down as chairman of the ruling Kuo-mintang party, taking responsibility for the party's poor showing in recent local elections.

Ma will submit his official resignation at a meeting of the KMT Central Standing Committee on Wednesday.

He said that he wants to shoulder the responsibility for the party's "unprecedented heavy defeat" in the elections held on Saturday.