According to reporters, the Legislative Yuan's current session was originally scheduled to end on May 31. However, proposals from the Blue and White camps extended it to July 31, and now the Citizen Party has added another proposal to extend it to August 31, which passed second reading today (13). The Green camp has raised concerns that the extension is a maneuver to shield party members from ongoing investigations related to signatures for recalls that have come to light.

Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu commented: “The Citizen Party has proposed to submit this for second reading for negotiation.” This marks a potential historic first for the longest session of the Legislative Yuan. The proposal from Citizen Party Chair Huang Kuo-chang has therefore aimed to stretch the session to the end of August, following the previous extension agreed by the Blue and White camp.

In response to this change, Citizen Party group leader Huang Kuo-chang urged his colleagues to focus on their responsibilities instead of thinking about breaks too soon. KMT legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin stated that considering the lack of majority among the three parties, many proposals need additional time to build consensus, thereby supporting the extension for civil affairs legislation.

However, the Green camp criticized the Blue camp, noting the absence of its members during the sessions, impacting vital legislation like national security laws. Should the session extend to August 31, the upcoming new session starting September 1 would provide no gap for those under investigation, similarly protecting them.

With the impending extension and the new session soon starting, the question remains whether the Blue and White camps will leverage this opportunity to safeguard those involved in legal issues.