Lit What exactly were the powers of the Imperial Senate?

Which is an interesting division of imperial power-the advisory would be composed of all the schemers, cronies and ambitious figures of the court on imperial center, while the moffs and their organization was less centered on coruscant and more decentralized military based governorships.

 

How were senators like Mothma and Bel Iblis allowed to openly defy the Emperor? At least Organa was secretive about it. Numerous sources state that they were firebrand who stood up to the Emperor before being targeted for arrest. I mean, what's the whole point of COMPNOR if influential senators were able to openly flaunt their anti New Order viewpoints? No fascistic state would allow such egregious acts of defiance, it weakens the image of the Emperor and softens the New Order as a totalitarian ideology. Why have secret police if you don't use them?

 

I suspect it was more a matter of verbal and procedural opposition. I doubt they dare stated "we want to see palpatine overthrown" in public. Though of course palpatine was well aware of their opposition.

And that leads into the whole plot of TFU where the idea was all dissidents would be gathered into one organization and thus more easily destroyed.

 

With the Andor trailer, looks like we'll soon get some answers!