Government of the Twelve Colonies

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Government of the Twelve Colonies

The Government of the Twelve Colonies, established by the Articles of Colonization, is a federal republic established 52 years prior to the Re-imagined Battlestar Galactica TV series, lead by a democratically elected president and legislature. The president at the time of the Cylon attack was President Adar. The President is assisted by a Cabinet. Each government department is headed by a minister or secretary. The Vice President and the Cabinet are included in the line of succession. At the time she assumed the presidency, Secretary of Education Laura Roslin was 43rd in line (Mini-Series). (This line of succession is apparently based on the United States presidential line of succession, which only includes 17 officers beneath the President.)

The colonial legislature is bicameral. The upper house is the Quorum of Twelve, with each colony is represented by a single delegate, each with one vote. When the Vice Presidency becomes vacant, the Quorum is responsible for the both the nomination and confirmation of the successor to that office. The President of the colonies is also the presiding officer of the Quorum, with the authority to break tie votes. Ceremonial dress for Quorum members includes a sash representing their colony.

The lower house is apparently larger, and may be elected on a proportional basis. The government also apparently recognizes an unelected religious body in an advisory capacity, similar to the British House of Lords, and maintains a separate judiciary (RDM, January 30, 2005).

Plurality of office is apparently forbidden, as Dr. Gaius Baltar is promptly replaced after being elected to the Vice Presidency from a position on the Quorum.

Numerous civil liberties are guaranteed under the Articles of Colonization, many of them apparently analogous to the United States Bill of Rights.

Government of the Fleet

Executive Branch

Laura Roslin, Secretary of Education under President Adar, assumed the presidency after the deaths of Adar and the 42 other secretaries and ministers above her under the Case Orange contingency system. She has yet to form an official cabinet of her own, but has employed various advisors over the months since the destruction of the colonies. These include:

• Billy Keikeya, aide de camp
• Priest Elosha, spiritual advisor, formerly a government cleric (RDM, January 30, 2005) (Killed in episode #2.6, "Home, Part I" and apparently not replaced).
• Captain Lee Adama, military advisor (Water)
• Wallace Gray, economic advisor (Colonial Day)

The office of Vice President is currently filled by Dr. Gaius Baltar.

Legislative Branch

46 days after the Fall of the Twelve Colonies, a new Quorum of Twelve was elected by survivors of the twelve colonies. It first convened on Cloud Nine on the eve of Colonial Day and has been in regular session since (Fragged, Final Cut). Quorum representatives include:

• Tom Zarek, Sagittaron
• Marshall Bagott, Virgon
• Sarah Porter, Gemenon
• Robin Wenutu, Canceron (not seen when the Quorum assembles on Galactica in "Fragged")
• Safiya Sanne, Picon (not seen when the Quorum assembles on Galactica in "Fragged")

Elections

Vice Presidency (Day 49)

The new Quorum's first order of business was the election of a Vice President, a motion presented by Tom Zarek (Sagittaron) and seconded by Dr. Gaius Baltar (Caprica). Marshall Bagott (Virgon) nominated Zarek for the position, and was seconded by Sarah Porter (Gemenon). Roslin's supporters selected Wallace Grey to compete with him. He later dropped out and was replaced with Dr. Baltar.

Zarek lost the election six votes to six, with President Roslin casting the tie-breaker. Based on on-screen evidence, he apparently had the support of Aerelon, Aquaria, Gemeonon, Picon, Sagittaron and Virgon.

This election followed a procedure similar to that laid out in the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, with two exceptions: under U.S. law, only the president may appoint a nominee; and that nominee must be confirmed by both houses of congress, not just the upper house. The 25th amendment is unclear on tie-breaking scenarios, as it is the Vice-President himself who is empowered to break ties in the U.S. Senate.)

Presidency (Scheduled, c. Day 222)

The late President Adar's unexpired term, which Laura Roslin is currently filling under the provisions of Case Orange, is set to expire roughly seven and a half months post-holocaust. Roslin herself is not an anticipated candidate, due to the rapid progression of her cancer. Representative Tom Zarek has already made it clear to Roslin that he intends to run for president in the upcoming election (Colonial Day).