Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou announced Dec. 2 that he would tender his resignation as chairman of the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) the following day. His statement came shortly after the government's entire 81-member cabinet, including Prime Minister Jiang Yi-huah, resigned in penance for the KMT's staggering defeat in nationwide local and municipal elections on Nov. 29. Stepping down from the KMT chairmanship does not mean losing the presidency. Barring another major crisis, Ma will retain that position until the 2016 national elections. But Ma's resignation as chairman, alongside the electoral defeat that led to it, highlights just how deep the rift between Taiwan's fractious ruling establishment and Taiwanese society has become. This divide is unlikely to have an immediate and appreciable impact on Taiwan's relations with China or its regional position in general , but it raises important questions about the long-term trajectory of both.