In the wake of Chewbacca's arrest Sunday in Ukraine, Emperor Palpatine has risen to power -- however much he can have on Odessa City Council.

According to multiple reports, Darth Sidious himself (aka "Palpatine Dmitry") claimed a seat on the port city's council after securing 54.4 percent of the vote in Odessa's Poselok Kotovskogo. If only the actual Palpatine's rise had been so streamlined, the Star Wars prequels would've been a lot more bearable.

Still, Palpatine Dmitry's success left at least one politician bewildered.

"I can't understand, but all the same respect, the choice of those who voted for the current government," Odessa mayoral candidate Aleksandr Borovik wrote on Facebook. "We all have our own choices and their future. But it's above my understanding. People, what's wrong with you?"

A Trust Affairs party candidate, the 24- or 25-year-old Dmitry apparently lists his occupation as emperor at the Emperor Palpatine Finance Group. Presumably, the company finances clone armies and moon-sized space stations.

His election follows the unveiling last week of a Darth Vader statue in Odessa, and subsequent dust-ups with the Sith Lord and a cursing Wookiee at one of the city's polling stations. As we noted previously, Star Wars is a favorite of the Internet Party of Ukraine, which last year put forward Darth Vader and several other characters for local and national offices, with no success.