Taiwan politicians may resign over typhoon response

TYPHOON MORAKOT, which devastated large swathes of self-ruled Taiwan last week, looks set to claim its first political casualties after Asia Taiwan’s defence minister and the head of the cabinet offered to resign to take responsibility for the government’s slow response to the disaster.

Taiwan’s worst floods in 50 years over the past week triggered by Morakot, which has officially claimed 136 lives but may have killed 500 people, caused President Ma Ying-jeou’s popularity to plummet, prompting expectations of a cabinet reshuffle.

The president apologised for the state’s handling of the relief programme and visited the devastated village of Hsiao Lin in the south yesterday to acknowledge that the government could have done more.

He was confronted by angry relatives and friends of the scores who died in the mudslides which destroyed the town.

Mr Ma was swept into power in May 2008 for a four-year term, but he has seen his popularity ratings plummet since the devastation caused by Morakot.

Defence minister Chen Chao-min has offered to quit over criticism that the government was too slow in its response, Taiwan’s premier Liu Chao-shiuan said.

Hsieh Hsiang-chuan, secretary general of the cabinet, had also offered to resign, Mr Liu told a news conference.

“Minister Chen and secretary-general Hsieh have both verbally offered to resign,” Mr Liu said at the press conference.

“When we discuss a cabinet reshuffle in early September, we will consider these offers.”

Mr Liu declined to comment on a newspaper report saying that he had also offered to quit, adding that the administration would look at the entire cabinet, including economic and financial positions, to see if there was a need for any changes.

Mr Ma, who heads the Nationalist Kuomintang, has promised to investigate the government response to the disaster and would come up with names on who would be held responsible by early next month.