<span style="color: #222222;">Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen resigned as leader of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on Saturday after it suffered major defeats in key mid-term polls. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The loss has come as a significant blow to Ms Tsai's prospects for re-election in 2020.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Beijing-friendly main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) made gains in the elections.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Tsai and her Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) have faced a mounting backlash over domestic reforms including pension cuts, as well as concerns about deteriorating ties with China, which still sees self-ruling Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The DPP, which went into the election with 13 seats, declared victory in only six and lost its traditional stronghold in Kaohsiung city for the first time in 20 years. The Taipei mayoral seat is still to be announced. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Votes in 10 referendums including closely watched pro- and anti-gay marriage proposals which were on the ballot paper are still being counted. </span><br />''