Government of the Twelve Colonies

This article discusses the Colonial government as seen in the Re-imagined Series. For information on a formal government component of the Twelve Colonies in the Original Series, see Quorum of Twelve (TOS).

The Government of the Twelve Colonies, established by the Articles of Colonization, is a federal republic. The Colonial government was established 52 years prior to the Fall of the Twelve Colonies and is lead by a democratically elected president and legislature.

Part of the series on The Twelve Colonies of Kobol (Re-imagined Series)

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Executive Branch

The President at the time of the Cylon Attack was President Richard Adar. The President is assisted by a Cabinet, consisting of the heads of the various government departments. Under Adar, the Minister of Civil Defense was a man named "Jack," and the Secretary of Education was Laura Roslin.

In the event of the death or incapacitation of the President, the Vice President and the Cabinet are included in the line of succession. At the time she assumed the presidency, Roslin was 43rd in succession (Miniseries).

Legislative Branch

The Colonial legislature is bicameral. The upper house is the Quorum of Twelve, with each colony 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. This may be the body which Gaius Baltar refers to as the "People's Council" (Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II). The government maintains a separate judiciary and recognizes an unelected religious body in an advisory capacity.

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 (Fragged).

Numerous civil liberties are guaranteed under the Articles of Colonization.

Ex Officio Advisers

The peoples of the Twelve Colonies appear to have a single religion based on worship of the Lords of Kobol. As such, a religious homogeneity exists that makes a "separation of church and state" unnecessary in the strictest sense. Government officials appear to be able to choose to consult religious leaders to support decisions or gather advice and consensus. Elosha a priest, was also a member of the Quorum of Twelve for a number of years.

Government of the Fleet

Executive Branch

First Roslin Administration

Laura Roslin, Secretary of Education under President Richard Adar, assumes the presidency after the deaths of Adar and the 42 other secretaries and ministers above her under the Case Orange contingency system. She apparently never forms an official cabinet of her own, but employs various advisers during the remaining nine months of Adar's unexpired term. Dr. Gaius Baltar is chosen as her vice president in a special election 49 days after the Cylon attack.

Baltar is prepared to assume the role of the President during Roslin's imminent death from cancer, but the scientist cum vice president manages to save the President's life. Despite the action, Roslin suspects Baltar is a Cylon collaborator, and Baltar chooses to become a candidate for President in the upcoming presidential election.

Roslin's Presidential Advisers

• Billy Keikeya - Personal Assistant to the President and makeshift Press Secretary

Keikeya is killed in the episode "Sacrifice."

• Tory Foster - Personal Assistant to the President and makeshift Press Secretary

Foster succceeds Keikeya in the episode "The Captain's Hand."

• Priest Elosha - Formerly a government cleric (RDM, January 30, 2005) who became President Roslin's Spiritual Adviser

Elosha is killed in the episode "Home, Part I."

• Brother Cavil - Spiritual Adviser

Cavil apparently succeeds Elosha for a brief period during "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II" prior to his discovery as a Humanoid Cylon.

• Lee Adama - Military Adviser (Water)

It's unclear when Adama's service as Military Adviser ends. He has not been seen in that capacity since "Home, Part II." Roslin's relationship with William Adama warms considerably following the events of that episode, generally obviating her need for a special military adviser. We must assume that Lee Adama's responsibilities as commander of Pegasus leave him little time for affairs of state following "The Captain's Hand."

• Wallace Gray - Economic Adviser (Colonial Day)

Gray apparently severs ties with the Roslin administration following his dismissal as vice presidential candidate in "Colonial Day."

Baltar Administration

Gaius Baltar announces his candidacy against Roslin one month prior to the presidential elections, with Sagittaron delegate and former opponent Tom Zarek as his running mate. Baltar runs on a platform opposed to religious interference in government affairs, prompted by the Rya Kibby affair, and in favor of colonization of New Caprica. Although Roslin attempts to fix the election in her favor, he is installed as President after the voter fraud is uncovered by Lieutenant Felix Gaeta.

Immediately after his inauguration, Baltar signs his first executive order as President ordering the Fleet to return to New Caprica. However, upon reaching New Caprica, he shows his incompetency when he orders the immediate colonization of the planet rather than an investigation into the destruction of several Colonial ships destroyed by a nuclear detonation or further exploration of planet itself.

One year later, President Baltar appears unsympathetic to the resource problems plaguing the colony and public approval of his administration is quite low. At the same time, a fleet of Cylon ships finds the settlement on New Caprica when they detect a trace radiation signature. Copies of Cylon models Five, Six, and Eight meet with President Baltar and his cabinet, and with Galactica and Pegasus having jumped away he offers the unconditional surrender of humanity.

After four months of Cylon occupation, Baltar is still in office although his role is more of a figurehead as opposed to the legitimate leader of New Caprica. Baltar is deposed after Admiral Adama organizes and executes a daring rescue mission of New Caprica's occupied inhabitants. During the exodus, Baltar chooses to leave with the Cylons (Exodus, Part II).

Baltar's Presidential Advisers

• Felix Gaeta - Personal Assistant to the President.
• The Cylon Occupation Authority - Part advisers, part puppetmasters, the Cylons play an important role in Baltar's administration during their occupation of New Caprica.

Zarek Administration

After the escape from New Caprica, Tom Zarek assumes the office of the presidency, succeeding the missing President Baltar. President Zarek brokers an agreement with Laura Roslin whereby he will nominate her to be his Vice President (subject to the approval of the Quorum of Twelve), he will step down as President, and she will become President again. In return, Roslin would then appoint him as her Vice President.

President Zarek's only major action taken in his brief tenure as President of the Twelve Colonies is an executive order authorizing a secret six-person tribunal tasked to find, charge, try, and execute collaborators and traitors. Shortly before stepping down as President, Zarek discloses this to Adama and Roslin. Zarek abides by his agreement with Roslin and goes through with his plan allowing Laura Roslin to resume her role as President.

Zarek's Presidential Advisers

• The Circle - Secret tribunal authorized to decide the fate of people implicated as collaborators during the Cylon occupation of New Caprica.

Second Roslin Administration

Laura Roslin's first act as President is to grant a general pardon to anyone who collaborated with the Cylons. She has abided by her agreement with Tom Zarek and nominated him as her Vice President.

Roslin's Presidential Advisers

• Tory Foster - Personal Assistant to the President

Legislative Branch

46 days after the Fall of the Twelve Colonies, a new Quorum of Twelve is elected by survivors of the Twelve Colonies. It first convenes on Cloud Nine on the eve of Colonial Day and was in session for some time thereafter (Fragged, Final Cut). Quorum representatives include:

• Tom Zarek, Sagittaron
• Marshall Bagot, 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")
• Eladio Puasha, Scorpia

Cloud Nine is destroyed in a nuclear attack by the Humanoid Cylon Gina. It is unknown whether any of the Quorum delegates are on board at the time of the attack.

Elections

Vice Presidency (Day 49)

The new Quorum's first order of business is the election of a Vice President, a motion presented by Tom Zarek (Sagittaron) and seconded by Dr. Gaius Baltar (Caprica). Marshall Bagot (Virgon) nominates Zarek for the position, and is seconded by Sarah Porter (Gemenon). Roslin's supporters select Wallace Gray to compete with him, but Gray is later replaced with Dr. Baltar.

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

Presidency (c. Day 280)

The late President Richard Adar's unexpired term, which Laura Roslin fills under the provisions of Case Orange, expires roughly nine and a half months post-holocaust. Roslin did not initially expect to run, due to the rapid progression of her cancer, but after her cure (Epiphanies) she makes it clear that she would stand for re-election.

Tom Zarek, defeated in his earlier bid for the vice presidency, privately states his intention to campaign for the presidency early on (Colonial Day), but withdraws his bid after he realizes that he could not hope to overcome Roslin's popularity. Instead, he throws his backing behind Roslin's vice president, Gaius Baltar, who publicly breaks ranks with the Roslin administration following the Kibby affair (The Captain's Hand).

A sample ballot.

The election is conducted by popular vote across the entire Fleet, with votes being counted by military staff on Galactica, overseen by civilian officials. The election resulted in victory for Baltar and a strong mandate for his policy of settlement on New Caprica, despite an suppressed attempt at rigging the election by the outgoing administration.

Vice Presidency (c. Day 800)

Following Baltar's disappearance in the aftermath of the Cylon occupation of New Caprica, he is succeeded by Vice President Tom Zarek. Zarek indicates his intent to nominate former President Laura Roslin for the Vice Presidency before stepping down himself and allowing her to succeed him. Although unseen in the episode "Collaborators", this sequence of events apparently takes place without incident.

As part of this deal, Zarek is promised the opportunity to continue on as Vice President (Collaborators), and is officially Vice President after giving Roslin the presidency (The Woman King).

Original Series definition: a Colonial court hearing (see: Law of the Twelve Colonies)