Taiwan's ruling DPP is accusing the opposition KMT and TPP of dragging out the legislature's session to shield lawmakers facing criminal probes — bad news for the credibility of parliament, and for anyone hoping for real budget oversight.

• The opposition bloc has set a record for the longest session extension in the legislature's history.
• More than 180 budget, accounting, and administrative items have blown past their legal review deadlines.
• The DPP says many of those items were sent to committee at the opposition's own request, then left untouched.
• Several lawmakers are caught up in court cases, fueling claims the extension is really an immunity umbrella.
• Political fights get scheduled and voted on quickly, while routine oversight work keeps slipping.

Outlook: Expect the standoff to sharpen as the overdue bills pile up and the court cases against sitting lawmakers move forward.