Wookieepedia:Featured article queue/Week 42, 2015/0

Finis Valorum was a Human male politician from House Valorum who served as the penultimate Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic. His administration was hampered by corruption and bureaucracy in the Galactic Senate, which Valorum was unable to bring under control.

Towards the end of his administration, Valorum attempted to resolve the Trade Federation's Invasion of Naboo to little effect. As a result of government inaction, Queen Padmé Amidala of Naboo called for a Vote of No Confidence in Valorum's leadership. The Senate scheduled an election for a new Chancellor, and Valorum was replaced by Senator Sheev Palpatine of Naboo; Palpatine was secretly Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord of the Sith, and had orchestrated the Naboo Crisis to become Supreme Chancellor and, ultimately, transform the Republic into the Galactic Empire.

During the Clone Wars, over ten years after his political downfall, Valorum assisted the Jedi Order as they investigated the circumstances surrounding the death of Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas, who, as Chancellor, Valorum had sent on a mission to resolve a dispute with the spice dealers known as the Pyke Syndicate. The Jedi learned Sifo-Dyas had been killed by the Pyke Syndicate at the behest of the Sith&mdash;who wanted to control the clone army Sifo-Dyas had secretly commissioned for the Republic&mdash;during the mission that Valorum had sent him on. After the rise of the Empire, some Coruscanti continued to have fond memories of the former Supreme Chancellor.