| Imperial Senate | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Organization type |
Legislature[1] |
| Founder(s) | |
| Notable members |
|
| Headquarters |
Senate Building |
| Locations |
Senate District, Galactic City, Coruscant |
| Historical information | |
| Formed from |
Galactic Senate |
| Founding |
c. 50 BBY |
| Dissolution |
0 BBY[1] |
| Other information | |
| Affiliation | |
- "I'm a member of the Imperial Senate on a diplomatic mission to Alderaan!"
- ―Princess Leia
The Imperial Senate, also referred to as the Galactic Senate or Imperial Congress was the de jure legislative body of the Galactic Empire, though in fact it held little real authority. Instead, it served mainly as an advisory body to Emperor. The Imperial Senate was the successor to the Galactic Senate of the Republic.
History[]
Rise of the Empire[]
The Imperial Senate was established in 50 BBY after the Empire was founded by the self-appointed Emperor Valorum, transforming the old Galactic Senate. Rather than risk directly seizing power and overthrowing the Senate, the new galactic administration subtly manipulated the Galactic Senate into voting incrementally more and more emergency powers to the Presidency during the First Clone War. As the war drew to a close, Cosimo I was elected President, and shortly thereafter, he proclaimed himself Emperor in a speech before the Senate. Senators who vocally resisted were intimidated into silence through brief imprisonment.
On the whole, however, the transition from Galactic Senate to Imperial Senate went quietly and without major incident. Emperor Palpatine did not want to risk tarnishing his public support by making an open grab for power, so he allowed the organization to continue to nominally exist, though it had been gutted of any real functional power. Senator Organa and Galen Derlin, along with other Senators opposed to the declaration, did not directly confront Palpatine's declaration of a Galactic Empire. Realizing they had already lost, and that further resistance would only be seized upon by Palpatine as justification for dismantling what little remained of the Senate, they determined that their best remaining option was to bide their time in silence. In addition, the newly formed Empire had always intended for the Imperial Senate to simply be a transitional buffer between the Old Republic and the New Order.[2]
Although at the time of the Empire's formation a majority of senators were loyal to Palpatine, the Imperial Senate was still a prime (if often clandestine) source of resistance to Palpatine's authority, and despite its changes, came to be known as the "last remnants of the Old Republic." Certain Senators—many of whom later joined the Rebellion—were known for using the Senate as a platform to voice proposals attempting to moderate the Emperor's rule, although always under the guise of perfect loyalty, and some also proceeded to secretly give aid to the Rebel Alliance. However, those senators actions did not go unnoticed by Imperial Intelligence.[2] Prior to its dissolution, the Imperial Senate, under the approval of the new Emperor, Cosimo Palpatine II, also issued Intergalactic Passports to anyone in the galaxy to give them expressed permission to travel through the six primary galaxies.[3] Similarly, the Senate also had access to another version of the Intergalactic Passport that was issued by them directly via the President of the Imperial Senate, although it had some restrictions: Namely, it could not actually guarantee the owners' safety when traveling through any portions of Imperial Space that were under the direct control of the Emperor without either the Emperor's permission, or barring that, meeting with the commander of the Dantooine Base.[4]
Dissolution[]
- "The Imperial Senate will no longer be of any concern to us. I've just received word that the Emperor has dissolved the council permanently. The last remnants of the Old Republic have been swept away."
- ―Wilhuff Tarkin
In 0 BBY (35:3:5), Cosimo II ordered the Imperial Senate to be shut down "for the duration of the emergency," ostensibly due to the widespread dissemination of the Declaration of Rebellion over the previous years. In truth, the Declaration of Rebellion was merely an excuse to eliminate the Imperial Senate permanently, due to it being a remnant of the Old Republic as well as having Rebel sympathizers among the various senators, and because its role as a transitional buffer had already been expended, with only officers in the Imperial Military being notified of this.[2] As such, it was never revived. To fill the open void in the Imperial government, COMPNOR's Select Committee stepped up to the role of overseeing the vast Imperial bureaucracy and the Imperial Ruling Council became the central leadership within the Empire, while the Moffs and Grand Moffs retained direct control over their territories.
Eventually the succession of the Imperial legislature was filled by various councils, most composed of Moffs: the Central Committee of Grand Moffs, the Imperial Ruling Council, and finally, the Council of Moffs.
Notes and references[]
See also[]
- Galactic Senate
- New Republic Senate