New Republic Presidential election, 28 ABY

The New Republic Presidential election of 27 ABY was the last election for a Chief of State of the New Republic. It may have been the most corrupt election in the New Republic's short history.

Background

After the Yuuzhan Vong's Capture of Coruscant and the suicide-sacrifice of Chief Borsk Fey'lya, the New Republic all but disintegrated. In the initial aftermath, Councillor Pwoe, the Quarren Senator of Mon Calamari, declared himself Chief of State. When the New Republic Senate convened on Mon Calamari to elect a new Chief, Pwoe ordered the Senate to convene on Kuat to confirm his self-appointment. The Quarren revoked Pwoe's senatorial status and the Senate declared the office of President of the New Republic to be empty. The four major candidates in the election were Senators Cal Omas of Alderaan, Fyor Rodan of Commenor, Cola Quis of Ryloth, and Ta'laam Ranth of Antar 4.

Campaign

Rodan set the tone of the election. He stated that the Jedi, whom he had consistently opposed, demanded special favors from the government while the New Republic had no oversight over them. To counter this, Luke Skywalker proposed to Omas, the pro-Jedi candidate, that a new Jedi Council be formed with half its members being non-Jedi from the government. Quis and Ranth made no statements on the Jedi, but it is believed that while Ranth was not an avid supporter of the Jedi, she was not an avid opponent either.

Election

Unlike the definitive victories of Mon Mothma, Leia Organa Solo, and Borsk Fey'lya, the election had several revotes. In the first round of voting, Rodan received 35% of the vote, Omas 28%, Ranth 18%, and Quis 10%. Pwoe received a total of three votes, and he declared the election illegal. Quis was convinced to drop out and support Omas after the latter promised Quis the chair of the Commerce Council. At this point, Lando Calrissian and Talon Karrde arrived with the Smugglers' Alliance, several hundred YVH 1 war droids, and sixteen vessels full of supplies for refugees.

Lando and Karrde decided to "help" Omas along. They wanted to sell the droids and donate the supplies, and they decided the best way to influence the vote would be to donate the supplies to some of Rodan's more questionable supporters in exchange for their purchase of the YVHs. The Senate overwhelmingly passed an appropriations bill which included the purchase of several thousand YVH 1 droids. After that, the Senate held a second vote, where Rodan received 37%, while Omas received 35%, and Ranth 22%. The Gotal Senator was now the king-maker that would decide the next Chief of State. It was also at this point that Shimrra Jamaane, the Supreme Overlord of the Yuuzhan Vong, ordered Cal Omas to be killed.

Lando and Karrde paid a few more visits to the senators they had contacted and revealed they had recorded their conversations with them. In exchange for avoiding the implication that the senators had taken bribes, Lando and Karrde asked them to vote for Omas. In the third round, Omas received 46% of the vote while Rodan dropped to 24% and Ranth dropped to 20%. Pwoe actually went up to four votes. Ranth was convinced to support Omas in exchange for the continued chair of the Justice Council. The Yuuzhan Vong then launched their assassination attempt on Omas, which was foiled by Mara Jade Skywalker. In the fourth vote, Omas received 85% of the vote, and Rodan received about 12% of the vote. Pwoe's total votes went back to three. The next day, Omas was sworn in as Chief of State of the New Republic, and signed the order to form the High Council.

Appearances

• Destiny's Way (First appearance)

Sources

• The New Essential Chronology