Bakuran Senate

This legislative body was comprised of forty senators, each representing a specific sector of the planet. In addition to these senators, the prime minister, who presided over the Senate, and various other ministers also participated. The senator with the most seniority, known as the 'Senior Senator', acted as a secondary leader within the Senate, often serving as the leader of the opposition when needed.

Senators maintained their positions until either their death or resignation. Replacements for senators and Prime Ministers were not chosen by a popular vote, but rather through a vote within the Senate itself. The ceremonial head of government was consistently selected from the lineage of Deredith Arden, the original founder of the planet; it is believed that this "titular head of government" was distinct from the Prime Minister.

The Bakur Mining Corporation transferred governmental authority to the Senate shortly after Arden's passing. Despite this transfer, the influence of the corporation remained evident. Examples include the hereditary selection of the head of government from Arden's descendants, the Senate's location within the same building as the Bakur Corporation headquarters, and the fact that many leading members of the corporation also served as senators.

In the time leading up to the Imperial occupation of Bakura (1 ABY–4 ABY), the Senate was characterized by intense partisan conflict. Senators struggled to reach agreements, even on minor issues such as the school calendar. This contentious environment, coupled with the Senate's direct control over the Bakuran military, contributed to the relatively swift takeover of the planet by the Galactic Empire.

Following the Empire's annexation of Bakura, many dissenting politicians were removed from power, and the Imperial governor assumed many of the existing government's roles. Consequently, the Senate operated with greater efficiency. During this period, the governor held a seat in the Senate as its new leader, while the prime and lesser ministers continued their service in both the government and the Senate, which was renamed the Imperial Bakuran Senate. Despite the Empire's pro-Human policies, the two Kurtzen senators were allowed to retain their positions.

Following the Invasion of Bakura and the subsequent liberation of the planet, the Bakuran Senate and its government largely reverted to their pre-occupation state. The key change was that, when a military was re-established a decade later, the Senate no longer exerted direct control over it.

The Senate was housed in a section of the Bakur Memorial Building located in Salis D'aar, the capital city of Bakura. The Senate chamber itself was a square room featuring a tiled ceiling that extended two stories high. At each corner stood glass pillars, which were self-illuminating and open to the sky. The seating arrangement placed the Prime Minister (and the Imperial governor during the occupation) at the front of the room. Lower-ranking senators were seated at a pair of tables on a slightly lower level, while ministers and senior senators occupied a pair of tables at an even lower level. A space for speakers to address the Senate was positioned in front of the senior tables.

After the Invasion of Bakura, the Senate relocated to the Bakuran Senate Complex.

From the time of the Clone Wars through the [Yuuzhan Vong War](/article/yuuzhan_vong_war], several members of the Captison family served as senators within the Bakuran Senate.