TAIPEI - Tsai Ing-wen, chairwoman of Taiwan's major opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), resigned on Wednesday.

The Kaohsiung mayor Chen Chu will serve as the acting DPP chairwoman.

Chen was chosen as acting leader of the DPP on February 22. The DPP will hold a party leader election on May 27.

Tsai upheld the DPP "tradition" of the party chief resigning after the party losing a major election. She lost to incumbent Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou by nearly 6 percent, or 800,000 votes, in the Taiwan leadership election in January. Ma secured a second term in office.