Pantoran Assembly

The Pantoran Assembly was a democratic institution that governed Pantora, the principal moon of the Pantora system and the homeworld of the Pantorans. It was overseen by an elected Supreme Chairman, with the office being held in turn by Chi Cho and Notluwiski Papanoida during the Clone Wars.

The Supreme Chairman, also known as the Chairman of the Assembly, was the highest executive figure in the government. Second to that was the position of Speaker of the Assembly, who led the legislative branch and kept the Chairman's power in check. The Assembly had the power to remove the Chairman from office if they committed actions that were deemed to be illegal or beyond the scope of their powers, and could also grant additional powers or authority to other elected officials if necessary. When Chairman Cho preemptively declared war upon the Talz native to Orto Plutonia, the Assembly called him out of order and revoked his authority whilst giving Senator Riyo Chuchi the authority to negotiate a peaceful settlement between the Pantoran government and the Talz leader.

Following the rise of the Galactic Empire in place of the Republic, three factions rose in the Pantoran Assembly. Appeasers who sought integration with the Empire in exchange for military and economic security were one faction. The republicans– or traditionalists– aimed to maintain the ideals of the Republic and saw the Empire as a betrayal of those ideals. They also believed that the Rebel Alliance would not be able to truly restore the Galactic Republic. The third faction was the expansionists, who believed in creating treaties with nearby spice traders and slavers in order for Pantora to expand and create new colonies. The Expansionists were the smallest in number, and their position was viewed as abhorrent by most Pantorans. Building up a small navy of volunteers, the Assembly cautiously expanded; careful to avoid drawing Imperial attention to their work. Rogue members of the Assembly began to hire mercenaries and make unofficial deals to free up the flow of information technologies and resources.

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