Presidency of Charles Rowley (2010 - 2016) *WIP*

Charles Peter Rowley (born 18th January 1954) is a Piadosan politician who served as the 9th President of Piadosa from 2010 to 2016. A member of the National Conservative Union, he previously served as a Senator from Coburg from 1990 to 2010 and a member of the Coburg Legislature from 1984 to 1990. Rowley's second term ended early when he became the only Piadosan president to resign from office, as a result of his involvement with a money-laundering scandal.

Born in Victoria, Coburg

Rowley began his political career by representing the 2nd District in Coburg Legislature, serving two terms from 1984 to 1990. A member of the Rowley family held this district continuously between 1966 and 2014. In 1990, Rowley stood and won election to the Senate. He was subsequently re-elected by comfortable margins to serve further terms in 1998 and 2006. Despite his popularity within the National Conservative Union, he declined to seek the party's presidential nomination in 2002 and 2006. He finally sought and won the nomination ahead of the 2010 General Election, choosing former Governor of Berkshire Kenneth Dalton as his running mate. Rowley and Dalton narrowly defeated Vice President Malcolm Ashworth and Governor George Young of the Democratic Labour Party in a close race.

Rowley is the only person to resign the presidency, the only former president to be found guilty of a crime in federal court and the only former president to serve a prison sentence after leaving office. Since his release from federal prison in 2021, Rowley has officially retired from public life but continues to support the political activity of the Rowley family. He is generally ranked as a below-average president, but historical evaluations of his presidency are complicated due to the manner in which he left office.

Background

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Member of Coburg Legislature (1984 - 1990)

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Senator (1990 - 2010)

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Election of 2010

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Rowley was deemed a frontrunner for the National Conservative presidential nomination in 2002 and 2006, but declined to seek the nomination on both occasions. He established an exploratory committee in August 2008 ahead of the 2010 General Election. He officially announced his intention to seek the National Conservative nomination at a press conference on the steps of the National Capitol in June 2009.

Former Berkshire Governor William Wright emerged as Rowley's main competitor

Incumbent Vice President Malcolm Ashworth won the Democratic Labour nomination and choose incumbent Governor of Albany George Young as his running mate.

The National Conservatives won majorities in both chambers of the National Congress for the first time since 1986.

Presidency (2010 - 2016)

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First Term

In 2012, Rowley presided over the official mourning of his friend and former President Anthony Revell. This was followed shortly after by the sudden death of sixty-one year old Attorney General Richard Elredge, who Rowley had hoped to eventually nominate to the Supreme Court upon a vacancy. Senator Harold P. Entwistle was nominated to replace the late Elredge as Attorney General and confirmed by the Senate soon after.

Thomas P. Rowley His brother resigned and Rowley immediately nominated the Ministry of Labour & Agriculture's top civil servant Theresa Inglewood as his replacement. This nomination comfortably passed the Senate but would be scrutinized in greater detail throughout the next three years. Rowley seriously considered issuing a pardon for his brother, but believed it could jeopardy his re-election.

In 2014, Rowley nominated his fifty-one year old Solicitor General Robert K. Unsworth for the Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of Justice Howard Greenly. Greenly had previously served as President Thomas B. Gregory's Solicitor General before his nomination to the Supreme Court in 1989. Unsworth's nomination was confirmed by the Senate in a 30-14 vote.

Election of 2014

Rowley wanted to replace Vice President Dalton on the National Conservative ticket, but his popularity among party loyalists and lawmakers in Port George meant this was unfeasible. Isobel B. Gregory, Mary Houghton and Alexandra Revell were considered as possible replacements for Dalton on the ticket.

The National Conservatives retained control of the Chamber of Deputies, but lost their majority in the Senate to the Democratic Labour Party. This was the first time since 1990 that each chamber was controlled by a different party.

Second Term

No fewer than eight members of the cabinet either resigned or retired at the end of Rowley's first term.

Scandal

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lmpeachment

Resignation

Post-presidency (2016 - present)

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The two years between 2016 and 2018 marked the first time since the independence of Piadosa that no member of the Rowley family occupied any office at national or provincial level. His youngest son Robert Rowley (b. 1985) was elected to the Chamber of Deputies as a National Conservative representative for a district in Coburg at the 2022 General Election, having previously served four years in the Coburg Legislature. His eldest son Charles Rowley Jr (b.1979) is rumored to be considering seeking the National Conservative gubernatorial nomination for Coburg in 2026 to replace term limited governor Peter Rashford.

Legacy

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