Taiwan premier quits

TAIPEI, Taiwan, Sept. 8 (UPI) -- Taiwanese Premier Liu Chao-shiuan resigned in the face of public criticism of the government's handling of last month's deadly Typhoon Morakot.

Liu and other members of the government led by President Ma Ying-jeou were criticized by the people who felt the government was slow to respond to the disaster, CNN reported. Mudslides set off by the storm buried several villages, killing at least 543 people, with many more reported missing.

Liu offered to resign earlier after taking the blame but Ma asked him to stay on to oversee the post-storm relief work, Taiwan's Central News Agency reported.

The premier in his resignation Monday said he was leaving as he had completed his work and that his entire Cabinet also would step down.

Wu Den-yih, secretary-general of Taiwan's ruling Kuomintang party, is likely to succeed Liu.