Laura Roslin

Laura Roslin is the President of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol, played by Mary McDonnell in the 2003 version of Battlestar Galactica.

Presidency

Escaping the Cylons

Her first actions included organizing all FTL-capable ships together and convincing Commander William Adama to abandon a retaliatory attack on the Cylons, and instead join the "ragtag fleet" she had assembled, in escaping.

Related Topics:
FTL - William Adama

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Restoring Government

President Roslin and Billy Keikeya, her aide/press secretary/chief of staff, established a working office space aboard her shuttle, renamed "Colonial One." Although she had risked her life to save colonists in the earlier miniseries, President Roslin now asked the refugees aboard to move their quarters to other decks or other ships in order to make room for her new quarters, leading to some friction.

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She also immediately clashed with Commander Adama, the senior Colonial military leader. They made an uneasy truce - that Adama would lead the military and the fleet's ships, while Roslin would preside over the fleet's personnel and look after the civilians' well-being.

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For the first few weeks, she acted as the sole voice of government, attending meetings and issuing orders alone. Soon after the "Bastille Day" Conflict, Roslin bowed to popular pressure and agreed to establish a new Quorum of Twelve - the legislative branch of the colonial government, made up of a representative from each of the twelve colonies. The Quorum is similar to the UN Security Council or the United States Senate.

Related Topics:
Bastille Day - UN Security Council - United States Senate

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It was at the first meeting of the new Quorum that Councilmember Tom Zarek of Sagittaron moved to nominate a vice-president; few were surprised when Zarek nominated himself for the post. Zarek, a newly-released political prisoner, has been striving to reinvent himself as a sort of Che Guevara/Yasser Arafat freedom fighter on the series. Some years ago, Zarek bombed a government building and killed many civilians, and President Roslin and Commander Adama will stop at nothing to prevent him from gaining any power in the fleet.

Related Topics:
Tom Zarek - Che Guevara - Yasser Arafat

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Not to be undermined by the former terrorist, President Roslin chose an old political ally, Wallace Gray, to run for Vice-President, but he fared poorly against the well-connected Zarek. After giving a stirring speech to the news media, it became clear that Dr. Gaius Baltar had become a popular individual in the fleet, and Roslin pressured Gray to drop out so that Baltar could enter the race. With Baltar in the race, it came down to a 6-6 deadlock in the Quorum, and President Roslin broke the tie in Baltar's favor. With a contested presidential election coming up, all eyes are on Roslin and Zarek.

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By the close of the first season, the soft-spoken Roslin has cut her teeth being a leader. She has gone from evading Cmdr. Adama to ordering torture and executions of Cylon agents when, in her judgment, it was necessary. The President of the Twelve Colonies has made some enemies within the fleet, and must now watch her back at all times.

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Prophecies

In season 1, President Roslin became convinced that she was the spiritual leader of the remainder of the human race, as prophesied in the ancient scriptures of Kobol. To follow through with the prophecies, she intends to lead the fleet to Earth, which is supposed to be a safe haven.

Related Topics:
Earth - Safe haven

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Arrest

After President Roslin convinced Starbuck to go back to Caprica to retrieve the mythical Arrow of Apollo, Commander Adama had her arrested and thrown in the brig for interfering in military matters.

Related Topics:
Starbuck - Arrow of Apollo - Brig

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On Kobol

With the aid of Captain Apollo, Roslin escapes and leads a team on Kobol in search of The Tomb of Athena. On Kobol, she finds the tomb. She later reconciles with Commander Adama and is reinstated as president.

Related Topics:
Captain Apollo - The Tomb of Athena

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Future

Although Roslin has now been reinstated and accepted by the populace, she also has - according to doctors - less than one month to live, a fact she is still coming to terms with.

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