Taiwan minister quits over extramarital affair claim

A Taiwanese minister resigned Thursday after his alleged extramarital affair surfaced in the media, the latest blow to a government battling mounting anger over its policies on China and nuclear energy. 

Minister without portfolio Chen Shi-shuenn, who also heads the cabinet-level public construction commission, stepped down after a local weekly ran a story and photograph claiming the married 64-year-old was having an affair with a college professor 20 years his junior.  According to Next Magazine, Chen frequented the professor`s home several weeks ago at a time when the embattled government was grappling with widespread public anger. Chen has denied the allegations but tendered his resignation for "causing the cabinet team trouble", a cabinet statement said, adding that it has been approved by Premier Jiang Yi-huah.  Chen became the second cabinet member to resign over personal relationship issues in recent years.  In 2009 Chu Yun-peng, a minister without portfolio and key economic adviser to President Ma Ying-jeou, quit after he was caught by the media skipping work to go on dates.  Chen`s alleged tryst took place while student protesters opposing a services trade pact with China were occupying parliament`s main chamber, in the first seizure of the building in Taiwan`s history.  The students` action drew large crowds of supporters, with more than 10,000 gathered outside parliament at one point.  There were violent clashes on March 23 when baton-wielding police turned water cannon on some demonstrators who had stormed the nearby cabinet headquarters.  The three-week occupation ended on April 10 after parliament peaker Wang Jin-pyng promised students that he would not preside over further debate on the trade pact until a law is passed to monitor agreements with China. However, the government also faces discontent over its nuclear power policy, with anti-nuclear groups planning to stage mass street protest over the weekend to support former opposition leader Lin Yi-hsiung. The activist has been on hunger strike since Tuesday to demand that a nearly completed nuclear facility outside Taipei be scrapped on safety grounds.