DHAKA: Taiwan’s cabinet resigned en masse on Monday after the ruling party suffered a massive defeat at the island’s biggest ever local elections.

The ruling Beijing-friendly Kuomintang (KMT) had their power slashed across Taiwan at the key polls Saturday, with Premier Jiang Yi-huah quitting hours after the disastrous result - seen as a key barometer ahead of the 2016 presidential race.

In the wake of Jiang’s resignation, Taiwan’s 81-strong Cabinet formally stepped down on Monday morning.

The current Cabinet members will continue to serve as caretakers until a new line-up is selected by the next premier, who is likely to be chosen by embattled president Ma Ying-jeou in the coming days.

BDST: 1254 HRS, DEC 01, 2014