TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Legislative Yuan voted Friday to extend its current session until Aug. 31 in a move condemned by the Democratic Progressive Party as a tactic by opposition lawmakers to protect them from legal action.

The Legislative Yuan usually works from February to May and from September until the end of December. The Kuomintang first proposed an extension of the current session until July 31, which was approved in May.

The Taiwan People’s Party came up in June with a new proposal to work until August 31. Following a period of negotiations between the party caucuses ordered by Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), the Legislative Yuan voted Friday by 59 votes against 49 to approve the latest extension, per CNA.

The DPP said it did not necessarily oppose a longer session, but there needed to be a valid reason. The ruling party said there was no major legislation requiring lawmakers to meet throughout the summer, while the eight legislative committees had been out on study trips 65 times during the extended session. 

The TPP plan was designed to help shield KMT lawmakers under immunity from prosecution until August and then into the next September-December session, the DPP said.

The TPP denied the accusation, arguing that several important topics required legislative discussion during the summer. They named the US tariffs, an AI Basic Law, measures against fraud, and cyber security legislation.