Outgoing Premier Liu Chao-shiuan paid a call at the Kuomintang (KMT) headquarters Wednesday to thank the party's Central Standing Committee for its support of the Cabinet during his tenure. Accompanied by Deputy Premier Chiu Cheng-hsiung and Executive Yuan Secretary- General Shieh Hsiang-chuan, Liu arrived at the end of the committee's weekly meeting and shook hands with all the members of the committee, which is the KMT's policy-making body. He politely turned down an offer by KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung to give him a chance to make a farewell speech, saying that he had already done so. Liu was referring to his televised nationwide news conference Monday when he announced his resignation. However, Liu said, he owes thanks to the KMT for its support, without which 'my administration could hardly have met the many challenges it faced during the last 15 months.' In response, Wu praised Liu as a kind and graceful politician whose legacy will be appreciated by the people and mass media when it is put into perspective. 'I have to say to Premier Liu that you have done a good job and have showed remarkable composure, even in the worst situations.' Liu, who came under fire for the government's slow response to the Typhoon Morakot disaster last month, said Monday that he and his Cabinet will resign en masse Thursday. President Ma Ying-jeou has named KMT Secretary-General Wu Den-yih as the new premier. Typhoon Morakot cut a swathe of destruction through southern Taiwan August 7-9, taking a toll of more than 600 lives. In related news Wednesday, Government Information Office Minister Su Jun-pin denied a United Daily News report that President Ma decided to drop Liu from the Cabinet after the premier took issue with Ma's request for a major reshuffle. Ma and Liu closely guarded their decision to replace the Cabinet because they did not want to disrupt its disaster relief work at such a busy time, Su said. 'The report is groundless -- the mass media should not speculate on these trivial things.' Su said. The minister also shrugged off criticism that the Government Information Office has not done enough to defend the Cabinet's performance. 'As members of the outgoing Cabinet, we will do what we are supposed to do, right to the end, rather than rebut criticism, ' he said. 