The eight feet of rain brought by Typhoon Morakot washed away a good proportion of President Ma Ying-jeou’s remaining popularity. Forecasters failed to predict the force of the August storm and evacuation measures were inadequate. More than 700 mountain villagers in southern Taiwan were buried alive by mudslides or swept away. Ma made penitential visits to comfort survivors but had to endure awkward moments as villagers harangued him in front of the television cameras. Another item on the charge sheet was his remark that the army’s prime role in future would be disaster relief — rather than putting up enough resistance to an attack from the mainland to allow the US time to kick in. The defence minister resigned in protest. By late August, Ma’s personal popularity was down to 23 per cent — but, as in France, the prime minister is always around to take a fall for the boss.
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