Quorum of Twelve (TRS): Difference between revisions

Revision as of 03:53, 9 February 2009

This article explains the legislative body in the Re-imagined Series. For information on its Original Series counterpart, see Quorum of Twelve (TOS).

The Quorum of Twelve is a unicameral deliberative body^[1] that grants each of the Twelve Colonies one elected representative, who votes on and brings issues to be discussed. The scope of these issues, in the aftermath of the Cylon attack, is likely to be quite broad due to the lack of any other organized political bodies.

In practice, the Quorum is the counterpoint to the President of the Twelve Colonies. While the executive branch has great power, the Quorum likely needs to ratify all laws devised by the president and the cabinet. It is also able to veto presidential provisions.

It is believed that the Quorum was instituted by the Articles of Colonization 52 years prior to the final Cylon attack.

First Roslin Administration

After the loss of the Quorum under President Adar, President Roslin reestablishes a new Quorum on Colonial Day. Its representatives, elected by the populous, include:

Secluded in his lab, Gaius Baltar seems unaware that he has even been nominated for the Caprican post until he is made aware of the decision.

One of the primary issues of the new Quorum was the election of a vice president as the Quorum was responsible for the confirmation of the successor to that office. If there is a tie, as is the case during the campaign of Tom Zarek and Gaius Baltar, the president was the one who casts the tie-breaking vote (Colonial Day).

This Quorum of Twelve assembled on Cloud 9.

Baltar Administration

With the loss of Cloud 9 shortly after Gaius Baltar's inauguration, the Quorum's meeting place is destroyed. A number of delegates may also have died in the disaster. The Quorum continued to meet throughout the Baltar administration until at least its surrender to the Cylons a year later on New Caprica^[5]. It appears to have been dissolved at some point during the Cylon occupation^[6].

Zarek/Second Roslin/Adama Administration

President Tom Zarek oversees the appointment of a new Quorum, who later approves the transition of presidential powers from Zarek to Laura Roslin after the Second Exodus (Collaborators).

Meeting on Colonial One with the press in attendance, now-Vice President Zarek appears to act as chairman to an unruly Quorum (The Ties That Bind).

The representatives on this Quorum include:

Jacob Cantrell of Sagittaron
Lee Adama of Caprica (succeeding Cowen)
an unnamed female delegate from Picon
an unnamed female delegate from Gemenon
an unnamed female delegate from Tauron, succeeded by another female delegate
an unnamed male delegate from Aerilon
an unnamed male delegate from Libran
Reza Chronides (unknown colony)
four further unnamed delegates (two women and two men, one of which was temporarily replaced by another man in the Quorum for some time)

Post Earth/Execution

Upon learning of Adama's plan to enter a permanent alliance with the Rebel Cylons in exchange for access to Cylon FTL technology to be installed on all civilian ships, Zarek takes advantage of Roslin's self-imposed absence from politics and agitates the Quorum into voting that no Cylon may board a civilian ship without the permission of its people (A Disquiet Follows My Soul).

Later, Zarek collaborates with Lieutenant Felix Gaeta of Galactica to stage a mutiny which quickly turns bloody (The Oath). When the Quorum (minus Lee Adama who is at large on Galactica) doesn't support him and Cantrell orders him to leave, pointedly addressing him as the Vice President, he orders their execution by the marines outside the door. After they carry out this order, Zarek summons Gaeta who is shaken out of his naivete about Zarek's motives and mourns the resulting loss of the rebellion's perceived moral high ground (Blood on the Scales).

References

↑ The Quorum combines features from the U.N. Security Council, U.S. Senate and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (a leadership body in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and some other Mormon sects).
↑ As shown in "Dirty Hands", Baltar's colony of origin is actually Aerelon. However, this is not common knowledge to the Colonials at the time of his appointment to the Quorum seat.
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 This information comes from this page from the Quorum agenda in "Colonial Day".
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 While this page from the Quorum agenda in "Colonial Day" notes that Elrad Hunt represents Picon and Safiya Sanne represents Leonis, a production error leads to Sanne being depicted onscreen as the representative of both colonies. Because neither character appears subsequently, the actual representatives of these colonies under the first Roslin administration cannot be conclusively established.
↑ Gaius Baltar: If it's not the union, it's the Quorum. And if it's not the Quorum, it's the People's Council. (Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II)
↑ Laura Roslin: So, Mr. President, how long before the new Quorum of Twelve can be sworn in? (Collaborators)

[1] The Quorum combines features from the U.N. Security Council, U.S. Senate and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (a leadership body in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and some other Mormon sects).

[2] As shown in "Dirty Hands", Baltar's colony of origin is actually Aerelon. However, this is not common knowledge to the Colonials at the time of his appointment to the Quorum seat.

[agenda-3] 3.0 ^3.1 This information comes from this page from the Quorum agenda in "Colonial Day".

[sanne-4] 4.0 ^4.1 While this page from the Quorum agenda in "Colonial Day" notes that Elrad Hunt represents Picon and Safiya Sanne represents Leonis, a production error leads to Sanne being depicted onscreen as the representative of both colonies. Because neither character appears subsequently, the actual representatives of these colonies under the first Roslin administration cannot be conclusively established.

[5] Gaius Baltar: If it's not the union, it's the Quorum. And if it's not the Quorum, it's the People's Council. (Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II)

[6] Laura Roslin: So, Mr. President, how long before the new Quorum of Twelve can be sworn in? (Collaborators)

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[2]

[3]

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@@ Line 52: / Line 52: @@
 Upon learning of Adama's plan to enter a permanent alliance with the Rebel Cylons in exchange for access to Cylon FTL technology to be installed on all civilian ships, Zarek takes advantage of Roslin's self-imposed absence from politics and agitates the Quorum into voting that no Cylon may board a civilian ship without the permission of its people ([[A Disquiet Follows My Soul]]).
-Later, Zarek collaborates with Lieutenant [[Felix Gaeta]] of Galactica to stage a mutiny which quickly turns bloody ([[The Oath]]). When the Quorum (minus Lee Adama who is at large on ''Galactica'') don't support him and Cantrell orders him to leave, pointedly addressing him as the ''Vice'' President, he orders their execution by the marines outside the door. After they carry out this order, Zarek summons Gaeta who is shaken out of his naivete about Zarek's motives and mourns the resulting loss of the rebellion's perceived moral high ground ([[Blood on the Scales]]).
+Later, Zarek collaborates with Lieutenant [[Felix Gaeta]] of Galactica to stage a mutiny which quickly turns bloody ([[The Oath]]). When the Quorum (minus Lee Adama who is at large on ''Galactica'') doesn't support him and Cantrell orders him to leave, pointedly addressing him as the ''Vice'' President, he orders their execution by the marines outside the door. After they carry out this order, Zarek summons Gaeta who is shaken out of his naivete about Zarek's motives and mourns the resulting loss of the rebellion's perceived moral high ground ([[Blood on the Scales]]).
 ==References==